Wishes
by Cherry Blossom Angel 18
Summary: 90 years after Wishes Come True 15 year old Sarah ran the Labyrinth to get Toby back. Now 13 years later she runs again. But what was it Hoggle told her? "Even if you get to the center you'll never get out again."
1. Prologue: The Dream

**Wishes**

**Prologue: The Dream**

Sarah Williams rolled over in her warm bed, dreaming. "Stop it! Oh stop it!! Stop crying Toby." She said though over half her words were muffled by the blankets. She kicked her bed frame as she rolled over again.

"Stop it, I'll say the words! I'll say them Toby!" As the baby in her dream screamed louder Sarah rolled over again her sheets getting tangled in her legs. "I wish… I wish… that the Gobli—" the word was cut off by a yawn as she burrowed into her blankets as if she could hide from the piercing yellow eyes that watched her from her dream or was it a flashback in nightmare form?

"…--n King would come and take you away…" she buried her face in her pillow as if even her subconscious couldn't bear to speak the two words that would complete the wish. Then moments later garbled and barely audible much less remotely understandable she muttered the two life changing words in to her pillow.

"Right now." Dream Toby stopped crying as 15 year old dream Sarah walked out of the room and 28 year old Sarah woke up with a thud as she rolled out of bed taking her blankets with her.

"Owww…" she groaned as blindly her hand fumbled for the lamp switch. Finding it the bulb flared to life brighter then she expected she shut her eyes and dropped her head down so she was no longer looking straight at it.

"Note to self, don't look at the light, it's dangerous." Sarah's hand fumbled blindly again for her watch. Finding the cold metal she opened her eyes slowly blinking as she brought the watch down to where she could see it.

"Nearly 7, on a Saturday. Ugh in the middle of summer too." She whined as she slowly stood up and grabbed her robe from the floor at the foot of her bed.

"Check on Toby, make Coffee and then go back to bed for an hour." Sarah said walking to the kitchen first not realizing how much more she needed to check on Toby then make coffee. 15 minutes later she was sipping on coffee and drowsily making her way to Toby's room. She opened the door as quietly as possible, it had a tendency to squeak. Flipping the switch for the hall light it illuminated the room just enough to make her squint at the bed to see if she could see the small form curled under the covers.

It's the summer of 1999 and Sarah's Father, Robert and Stepmother, Karen had gone to Italy for 2 weeks. Sarah had offered to watch the little boy, after all he was her brother. When she was 15 Sarah had every hope of becoming an actress like her mother, Linda, but after encountering the Labyrinth She developed a new respect for kids with traumatic lives. She'd changed directions completely and joined Child Services when she got out of school, now 28 she lived a reasonably comfortable life in New York City.

Frowning slightly Sarah walked over to the bed and the closer she got to it the more sure she was that Toby wasn't in bed. She got to the bed and threw the covers away after setting down her coffee. "No, Oh No." She said running over to the light switch and flipping it on. She checked every possible place for her brother to be in that room before grabbing the coffee mug, hot coffee could be an excellent weapon, though she was pretty sure that who ever or what ever had stolen Toby, wasn't human. turning on the lights as she went Sarah searched every room in the small house, closets included, before going back into the kitchen and, her face turned towards the ceiling, she stamped her foot in frustrated anger mixed with hatred mixed with feelings she didn't know or denied having for the Goblin King, and yelled at the top of her lungs,

"JARETH!!!! YOU KIDNAPPING _**BASTARD**_!!!!" She drew a deep breath before grinding out, "Give. Him. Back. NOW!!!" A cool voice then spoke behind her,

"My, my, such a temper." Sarah spun around to face the man who spoke. "Hello Sarah." He said smirking.


	2. Chapter 1: Welcome Back Sarah

**Welcome Back, Sarah Williams.**

"Jareth, Give me my Brother, You had no right to take him!" Jareth raised an arched eyebrow like the upsweep of a white owl's wing just like he'd done when she had been 15.

"What's said is said." He told her in the same mocking tone of voice he'd used back then.

"Oh don't give me that crap Jareth, I didn't say anything!" Jareth tossed his cape farther4 back over his shoulders, his gloved hands cuffed by folds of lace on his hips, His blonde head tilted slightly to the side, his mouth smirking, eyes mocking, eyebrow raised.

"Oh Really?"

"Yes "oh really" Don't give me that look Jareth, I didn't wish him away, you kidnapped him and that's illegal, so give him back before I call the cops."

"Sarah, Do you really think your laws can bind me? Or that your 'cops' as you call them could catch me?" he asked mocking her.

"Give Him Back Now!!!!!" Jareth said nothing now, simply took out his crystal balls and began to juggle them as an image formed inside one. Before her accusing eyes the crystal stopped moving and Sarah watched as she wished her 14 year old brother away for the second time in his life, in her sleep.

"No, Oh no, you-you made this up, it's not real. It can't be real." She said firm in her belief that he was the villain here not she. Jareth began to get back in the 'Oh really' Stance but her next words made him stop and smirk.

"I'll go after him." Sarah Braced herself for an argument but Jareth silently swept a gloved hand towards the front door. She harrumphed as she turned towards her bedroom door opening it she walked through only to find herself transported into the Underground in a thin spaghetti strapped sleep shirt and a pair of sleep shorts, and slippers, her robe's sash coming untied causing her robe to slip off one shoulder.

"Not the way I'd have chosen if I were you." He said coolly from behind her, surveying the young woman she'd grown into, from behind.

"You have 13 hours in which to solve the Labyrinth else I keep your precious Toby and you---"

"Yeah, yeah, I know, I know. Get through the labyrinth find the castle say the words yada, yada and so on and so forth." She said her nose very high up in the air. She didn't bother to turn around She knew He'd not be there. She picked up her feet and liesurly strolled towards the vine draped walls the bordered the Labyrinth she conqured 13 years earlier. Little did she realize Jareth did stay to watch her. His smirk had disappeared and inside his mind a storm of wild emotions raged. He chuckled quietly to himself when she couldn't get in immediately. "Silly Sarah." He said when she looked around at the fairies,

"Hoggle?" She called tentatively watching the seemingly sweet fairies fluttering around. Sarah hesitantly reached out a hand towards the blonde curly headed, green iridescent winged fairy. The fairy flew towards her close enough that Sarah went cross eyed and was able to tell the fairy had blue eyes.

"Ouch! Damn it! I shouldn't have thought that you'd be a good fairy and find me the damn doors. Not bite my nose!" She hollered swatting the fairy away The little fairy flew off in the direction of Jareth who held out a gloved hand.

"Hello Belle. How are you and your friends?" Belle chattered a reply.

"Good very good." He said, before vanishing. At that Belle flew off to watch Sarah some more.

"Come on! Open up!" She said glaring at the wall. She didn't realize that the doors had opened, they just weren't in front of her. At Sarah's blindness to the open doors Belle cracked up, infuriating the young woman.

"Now listen her you, you horrible little… Fairy! You stop laughing at me or I'll, I'll, I'll throw you in the Bog of eternal stench!" Sarah threatened causing Belle to laugh harder before flying through the open doors.

"Oh, I was looking in the wrong spot. I feel silly now." She said walking through the doors and taking off in the direction she remembered going in the last time she'd been there.

"My feet are KILLING me…Oh well it can't be THAT much farther can it?" She asked her self before running again.

"Ok next time I wish someone away I have got to work getting dressed in to the bargain." She said as she removed her robe and hung it on a tree branch expecting to get it back later.

She started running again before leaning against a wall for support while she caught her breath.

"Jeez I'm out of shape. This was easy when I was 15." Distantly she heard violin music.

"What? Since when can Goblins play the Violin?" She asked then a thought struck her.

"Maybe it's not a goblin at all. Maybe someone else is running at the same time as me! Oh that'd be nice I could help them out! And then I'd have a friend again! Oh how wonderful!" She said as she began to run again, following the music.

Eventually the music stopped and A female voice spoke.

"'Allo!" She said and sarah turned around in circles searching for the voice.

"Where are you, who said that?"

"I'm right over here, and I said that." She said with a diluted but definite English accent.

"Where? I don't see you." Sarah said bewildered. Then a hand touched her shoulder lightly.

"'Allo."

"Oh, Hello. I'm Sarah." She said introducing herself to the black haired girl with blue-green eyes and a faint sprinkling of freckles.

"Elspeth, and I know." The girl replied rubbing her hand on her seemingly tattered skirt as if to rid herself of any dirt that may have rubbed off on her after touching Sarah.

"Elspeth. What do you mean by 'you know'? Aren't you running the Labyrinth too?"

"Oh No! Of course not. I live here, Come inside, and have a nice spot of tea, we can talk then. And Everyone knows who you are, Sarah Williams, you're quite famous in these parts. Especially with the Worm. He was quite fond of you."

"Where is he?"

"Honeymoon I'm house sitting for him, newly weds, can you believe it? ah it seems like only yesterday I met him for the first time. Well you coming in side or not?" Elspeth asked as she began to walk barefoot over rocks and branches.

"Yeah Sure why not, but uh how do I get in? and why is it that if you live here you still look human?"

"Follow me. Because I am human. I just have an unusually long life span for one."

"But you can't be more than 18."

"That's cause Technically I'm not but at the same time I'm technically 100 and…21."

"But how is that even…--"

"Possible?" Elspeth finished for Sarah, "It's not for any normal human but I stopped aging a year after I came here so in theory I am still 18."

"You're Immortal… You're fey… You're like _**him**_…"

"If by _**him**_ you mean my lord and King then you're wrong I'm not fey, I'm human. But the other bit was correct. Trust me I wanted to die when my Aunt Selenay returned and became the junk lady, oh how I wanted to Die! She'd spent to much time here you see she'd begun to change, so when she became a goblin she came back here since she freaked out my sister and parents so badly."

"_SHE_ was your _aunt_??" Sarah exclaimed as they turned the corner.

"Unfortunatly. Now get inside and I'll pour you a nice cup of tea." She said sweetly while she faced Sarah but glared when her back was turned.


	3. Chapter 2: Loyalty

**Loyalty, Loyalty, Loyalty, Only to Him.**

A young girl, no more then 11 or 12, danced barefoot through a section of her King's beautiful but dangerous Gardens. Stopping after a spin that made her skirt billow she knelt before an overgrown rosebush. Blowing her bangs out of her eyes she surveyed the roses before her. She lifted the pruners and started to snip away at the dead branches cutting a small handful of roses that had already bloomed when she was mostly done.

Setting the pruners down she wove the roses she'd clipped into a crown breaking off the thorns before placing it on her white blonde hair and grinning like a child. She'd just picked up the pruners again when she felt something soft, warm and heavy at her back. Slowly she reached one tan hand back slowly trailing her fingers down when they encountered soft hair. Down, down, down her fingers went until she found a cheek. Tracing her fingers over it she pictured the features in her mind taking her hand back when she had a clear enough guess as to who it was.

"Good morning back there. Rose? Am I right?" she said not taking her eyes away from her task. The girls, plants and animals that lived in the gardens were not only it's inhabitants but it's prisoners as well. Many who liked the gardens had decided to stay there for a while, not knowing that they would be giving up their freedom and essentially their life in the process. Those who now lived in the garden could not leave it for long or else they became stone. If you stay for too long in the garden and you leave you will turn to stone. This is why when you explore the labyrinth you will come across stone statues, with the occasional one weeping for her lost freedom and life, which do not seem to belong.

"Good morning. Yes, I'm Rose. I see you changed your face again. Why?" Rose asked in her thick English accent.

"I was bored. How'd you know it was me?"

"You are the only one who changes her face every time she's bored. Besides you are the only one who visits us and takes care of the gardens nowadays. And you are the only one who can tell who is who with your eyes closed."

"Fair enough. So what's up Rose?"

"The Lady Elspeth is playing her violin again."

"How quickly?"

"Like she is a humming bird darting from Flower to Flower."

"Oh great. Ok, Thanks for the heads up. I'll go see who she ensnared this time." She said with one last snip of the pruners.

"Thank you, Lady Mari." And then before anyone could blink the blonde haired, brown eyed, Rose was gone. Sighing Mari tugged on a white blonde braid that rested on her collarbone. "Elspeth, what are you up to now?" she asked quietly. She sighed as she stood and began to walk out of the garden. She began to hum so that she wouldn't lose her mind in the silence. About halfway between the gardens and Elspeth's house she began to sing what she hummed. The lullaby her mother and Dimi used to sing and play for her when she was very young. She never new it's exact title so she'd always called it 'dekabre' or 'December'.

"Kak uzor na okne. Snova proshloe rjadom. Kto-to pel pesnju mne.V zimniy vecher kogda-to. Slovno v proshlom ozhilo. Ch'ikh-to bereznhykh ruk teplo. Vals izyskannykh gostey. I beg lihikh konei. Val's kruzhil I njos menja. Slovno v skazku svoju manja. Pervyj bal I pervyj val's. Svuchat vo mne sejchas. Zerkala v jantare. Moj vostorg otrazhajut. Kto-to pel na zAre. Dom rodnoj pokidaja. Budesh' ty v dekabre. Vnov' so mnoj, dorogaja."

Turning a corner she found herself unexpectedly at Elspeth's front door. "That was quick." She muttered as she knocked before opening the door. "Elspeth! Are you there? You're freaking the girls in the garden out you know, by playing that fast. They think you've killed someone or something."

"She's not dead yet." Elspeth said as she walked up to her old friend. "Mari, you're 11 again. Why are you 11 again?"

"I was bored and I've been avoiding going younger then 14 for so long." She answered. "What do you think?" She asked stepping back so Elspeth could see her better. Elspeth looked over the white blonde hair with un-even bangs that fell to one side of Mari's cute nose, just past her cheekbones and then just above her eyebrows. She surveyed the tanned skin and striking, big, blue eyes that looked out at her from a child's face. She saw the bare feet and the anklet around one ankle and the pale blue and purple dress with bell shaped half sleeves that set off the blue of her eyes.

"You did well. You're cute. You might want to work on your eyes though. They look like a 17 year olds rather then an 11 year olds. You need a tad more child-like innocence in them." Mari blinked and tilted her head to the side and immediately her eyes looked younger but since most of her 11th year had been plagued by tragedy the blue orbs had a sense of sadness and slight horror to them.

"Yeah but never mind. Undo whatever you just did. You need that extra bit of wisdom you have when you're 17." Mari laughed.

"SO who have you almost killed this time?"

"Just an annoying brat that deserves it." Elspeth said with a shrug, "I want a hug, outta you girlie girl. I never see you often enough any more, you're always in the gardens." Elspeth half complained as the little girl walked forward, arms out stretched.

"You see me every day during tea, and supper. And anytime we're summoned to his majesty. The garden's _are_ my job now, you know that." She said as Elspeth hugged her close

"That's not often enough. I worry about you my little Nightingale; if you spend too much time in the gardens you'll wind up just like them. You'll never be able to leave again." Elspeth warned lifting the rose crown off her friend's head. "Even your roses have turned to stone, because even they can't survive away from the garden from which they came." Mari looked at the roses and then at her friend.

"Don't worry Elspeth. I'll be careful. Now who did you trick into having tea with you?"

"She's in the sitting room."

"A runner?"

"Mhm. Her second time."

"Impressive, Cocky?"

"Quite" Elspeth said as Mari poked the body with her foot. Then carefully rolling her over so her face was visible. As soon as Mari saw the dying girl's face she jumped back as if she'd been burned.

"Sarah… Elspeth, you've half killed Sarah Williams!" Mari said half horrified and half glad. "Elspeth, you can't _do_ that…" She let out a hysterical giggle. "You've poisoned Sarah Williams." She said as she flopped down into a chair eyes wide, a deranged grin on her face.

"Mari, darling, are you ok? You look like you've finally gone crazy. Either that or you're sleep deprived, which is it?" Mari answered with a fit of unhinged giggles. After a few moments of hysterical giggling she grew surprisingly sober and horrified.

"Oh, uh-oh, Elspeth, Elspeth we, we need to wake her up. If the King finds out, oh god we're so completely dead!! If he finds out then we're oh, Блять." Elspeth raised her eyebrows.

"What, was _that_?"

"What you mean, Блять? You've heard me swear before."

"in English. What's it mean? 11 year olds are not allowed to swear by the way."

"Mne pohui. I can't tell you what it means. You won't like it. Zarasa, govno."

"So, what are we going to do with the body?"

"There isn't going to be a body. If His majesty finds out, he'll kill us. He won't stick us in an oubliette, he'll probably slowly submerge us feet first into the lake of eternal pain. Hell he might not even be _that_ nice."

"What are you suggesting?" Elspeth asked cooly.

"That I save her dumb butt before he dissolves ours."

"You know when you talk like that it's hard to believe you're only 11." Elspeth said with a grin. Mari looked at her friend and rolled her eyes in exasperation.

"The antidote?"

"But Why? She's the reason that He's so depressed! She tried to kill him 13 years ago! And she Kissed hogbrain."

"The last just goes to show what bad taste she has. The rest are all wonderful reasons to leave her alone but for goodness sakes he's my King. I'll do just about anything to make him happy, and to keep us both alive. If he wants Sarah alive, I'll do what I can to keep her alive, if not I'll give her as a gift to Nettie. You know his temper! Please?" she stared pleadingly at her friend until she caved.

"Ugh, oh alright then, Take the little brat. But be careful, she's a sneaky little thing." Elspeth said as she walked back into the kitchen and swinging open a cabinet door and reaching into it pulling out a vile of clear liquid that acted as a prism when held to the light. She walked back over to Mari who was trying to get Sarah to wake up.

"Sarah, Sarah, wake up you stupid little… butthead!

"She won't wake Mari, it's been too long. Just pour this down her throat and She'll be gallivanting after goblins soon enough."

"Thank you Elspeth." She said giving her friend a tight hug. She was aware that she was squeezing the older girl too hard when she became aware of the frantic tapping on her shoulder. She let go and grinned sheepishly. "Sorry, I'm not used to being quite so short." She turned back to Sarah and picked her up so that she hung over Mari's shoulder. "Hehe." She chuckled when she saw that Sarah's hands and hair dragged on the ground.

"I'll see you a little later then?"

"Always. _'Spethie_."

"S_hivsbik,_ Don't call me that you know I don't like it." Elspeth replied as Mari walked out the door.

"What can I say, it's funny!"

~About 20 minutes later~

Mari poured the contents of the vial down Sarah's throat. "If you die of an allergic reaction to this it is SO not my fault. I hope you realize what I'm going to go through for you young lady, and I'm only doing it cause if saving your damned butt is going to save ours and make him happy then that's what I have to do." Mari said before laughing, "I'm explaining myself to an almost corpse!"

~About 2 hours later~

Sarah groaned, her head hurt and her eyelids seemed extra heavy. When she finally pried her eyes open she saw a pair of large blue eyes staring at her intently. She blinked and the eyes stared. Pretty soon Sarah figured out that the eyes were set in a well-tanned face framed with uneven blonde bangs. Sarah's eyes widened and she opened her mouth to scream but before any sound came out the face scrunched up and retreated out of her immediate line of vision.

"Geez, brush your teeth next time! Gross!" a young voice said, probably a girl's. Sarah moved her head slowly and saw a little girl in a blue dress with light purple accents that made her eyes seem even bluer. "Don't scream Sarah. You'll only make your voice hurt."

"Who are you? Where am I? What's going on? What happened to Elspeth? What was in that tea? Who are you?"

"You asked that already Sarah."

"How do you know my name? What are you? Where's Jare—"

"I wouldn't finish that name if I were you. You see if he hears his name he'll decide to pay a visit. And you don't want that. Trust me." Mari told her.

"…who are you?"

"That's the third time you've asked me that."

"I'll stop asking if you answer me."

"I'm…" Mari thought for a second before taking a deep breath and saying very quickly, "Marinochka Keesa Solovyov." Mari told her. "But you can call me Mari. Call me Imp or Shivsbik and I shall have hurt you. I'm an 11-year-old Russian girl who used to live in Wales with her grandmamma. That's who I am… sorta. What am I? I'm human, I'm a girl, I'm never going to age—no wait no that's not really true… forget that part. Elspeth is at home, probably playing her violin; you poisoned your own tea. She took down the sugar cube pot and you took the only cubes that weren't sugar," this wasn't exactly true but it didn't really need to be. "If you had said no sugar you wouldn't be in this mess." That was true, but then there were a lot of things that she could have done to avoid the Labyrinth, like not go to sleep that night.

"You're in a cave in the middle of the Labyrinth." Actually she was in a cave at the beginning of the labyrinth but She didn't need to know that. "My king is… actually I'm not sure where he is. He might be in the gardens or he could be in the castle or he could be in any number of other places! I know your name because, well because everyone knows your name here, you're infamous."

"Infamous?" Sarah asked

"Famous for a bad reason." Mari replied looking at her innocently.

"Yeah, I know what it means."

"If you know it already then don't ask. Any questions I missed?"

"Yeah, how did I get here?"

"I carried you." Sarah looked over Mari raising an eyebrow before bursting out laughing. Mari sighed and rolled her eyes. "How could you have carried me? You're just a little girl!"

"Sarah, Sarah, Sarah," she said, sounding eerily like Jareth, "You really should know better, Things are not always what they seem here. You ought to know that." Sarah looked at her like she was wearing some ridiculous hat.

"Never, do that again. You sounded like him."

"I did? Huh. Cool! But really Things are not always what they seem here. I may look 11 now but for all you know I could really be 17," She said, her voice escalating as she went on, "and have long red hair and violet eyes and my name could be Alanna of Trebond and I could have a twin brother named Thom who wants to be a great Sorcerer while I want to be a lady Knight." She said all in one breath earning a shocked look from Sarah who was now sitting up.

"How did you know about those books?"

"What? I'm not allowed to read?" She huffed slightly outraged. "Alright see if I help you out of this maze." She huffed and walked out of Sarah's view. Once out of Sarah's line of vision she gently pulled her long time fairy friend, Belle out of her pocket and grinned at her before flattening her hand out and letting the little fairy fly back to Sarah.

Sarah saw the light before she saw the fairy, But once she saw the fairy she leaned back as far as she could and watched the fairy till she went cross eyed, "Mari!! Help, Mari!!!" she yelled when Belle grinned revealing sharp pointy teeth, Belle's tiny shoulders shook with silent yet unmistakably malevolent laughter. Belle clicked her teeth together a few times before looming even closer to Sarah's face just to freak her out. "MARIIII!!!!" she shrieked.

"Alright, alright, I'm here, I'm here. Sheesh. I leave you alone for 10 minutes and you're already in trouble." Mari said rounding the corner. "A fairy, you're afraid of a little fairy. Wow, you're worse the hogbrain." She said as she stopped, looking at the scene.

"Hoggle."

"Yeah, yeah. Honestly though. She's 3 inches high, what can she do to you?"

"They bite! I've been bitten twice by the same bloody fairy!"

"It doesn't hurt that badly."

"Just get her away from me!"

"Coward." Mari muttered. "C'mon Belle you can terrorize her some other day." she said holding her hand out for the fairy who danced lightly on the outstretched palm before settling into a sitting position. All of a sudden Sarah jerked up from leaning back, green eyes wide and horrified,

"TOBY! Oh HOW The HELL could I forget about TOBY!?!?!?!" She jumped off the ledge she'd been sitting on and ran to Mari grabbing her fairy free wrist and dragging her behind as she ran out of the cave and into the light.

"Woah! Sarah, you really don't have to drag me, or run for that matter!"

"Oh, that's right, I've done this before, I'm sure it'll be easier this time after all I remember everything I said every section I found, This'll be a piece of Cake! WHOOP!" she cried as she tripped over a rock and landed face first in a puddle of mud that hadn't been there before she'd said cake.

"Clutz." Mari said before looking around quickly and spotting Jareth, hidden by shadows. Seeing him she inclined her head down and closed her eyes respectfully before turning back to Sarah who was complaining about how un-fair it was that her flimsy silk top and short silk pajama shorts were dirty. "Sarah, stop complaining. If you didn't want them to get ruined you shouldn't have worn them."

"You know you're not very nice sometimes."

"You might think so but trust me everything I say that's mean is just common sense, or my opinion of you." She walked around so that Sarah didn't have to crane her neck back to glare at her. "Here," She said holding out her hand. "Take my hand and let me help you up. You can't just go running blindly somewhere here, You can't take anything for granted, things are never exactly what they seem, haven't I told you that already?"


	4. Chapter 3: Sit, Stay, Bad Sarah

I'm sorry this has taken so Very long, you'll get two Chapters this week, Hope you enjoy!

* * *

**Sit, stay, Bad sarah.**

Taking the out-stretched hand gingerly, Sarah tried to pull her self up when Mari briefly let go. Before she could say anything Mari had grabbed a better grip on Sarah's wrist and was yanking her to her feet. "Don't you know how to hold on to someone?" Mari asked incredulously. "Geez.!"

"What did you mean by common sense or your opinion of me? You hardly know me! Where are my friends from 13 years ago?"

"Don't you keep in touch with those you leave?" Mari sighed, "Hoghead," she scoffed.

"Don't call him that! It's rude!"

"You're not one to chastise me on my manners, _Miss_ _Williams_. It's not smart. You'd never believe the things that we've seen, done, and been through. So Zip it!" Mari told her harshly. Her temper was getting out of hand, she realized, breathing deeply.

"Where did you say you were from? Your accent, it's very strange."

"Sarah, please, if you have a question ask it, but don't question my manners, I hate it. To answer your questions, I lived in Wales with my Grandmother from the time I, for a few years... But I'm _from_ imperial Russia, and before you say anything, no, I will not tell you any specifics."

"_That's _why you're accent is so funny… it's a mix! You're Russian and English!" Mari rounded on her,

"NEVER call me English. Elspeth is English."

"British, English, they're the same thing."

"No, they're not. I'm Welsh, or British, if you like, but even that is a stretch." Call me English one more time and you'll regret it," Mari threatened blue eyes blazing. She breathed deeply again, "I haven't been this worked up since 1918. Don't ask or I let the vines take you."

"Huh?" was all she said before Mari pointed to vines wrapping around Sarah's ankles. "I have a way with plants here, that's why I took over as caretaker of the Gardens. So if you'll take care not to bug me too much I can lead you through the Labyrinth and get you home in one piece. Deal?"

"Will you still tell me about my friends?"

"If you promise not to interrupt." Mari said teasingly.

"I promise." Sarah said adopting an almost mocking tone of voice.

"First things first, I have a wicked temper so don't antagonize me for your own safety. Got it?"

"Got it. And the second thing?"

"You probably won't like what I'm going to tell you." She said before crouching down and unwrapping the vines around Sarah's ankles.

"Tell me anyway."

"Fine. Your precious Hogbrain— " she began, but was cut off when Sarah corrected her.

"Hoggle." Mari shot Sarah a glare before standing and continuing to walk.

"Actually, first off, what do you know about him?"

"He liked jewelry, he was a coward, and he worked in the gardens. What else do I need to know?"

"That he was a pervert, a stalker, and terribly fickle. He was also annoying, bothersome and a compulsive liar. I knew him from school; he'd always try to flirt with me. Then finally, one day I told him I'd wish him away and give myself to the Goblin King, he didn't believe me, so I did. And then His highness assigned Higgle to the gardens, hoping to keep him far away and out of trouble. And then _YOU_ came along." She said.

"What did I do?" She asked.

"You, you blundered in and befriended him, and then he helped you get to the castle where you tried to Murder my King. Luckily for you he's got us and he's strong, but unfortunately for Huggle the King's last shred of patience had gone with the idiot's betrayal and Happily Hoggle was banished, I won't tell you where, you'd not be able to find him anyway. Now the fireies you met were partying teens nothing really happened to them, except that they grew up, they still love a good party but they're not the same as they were when you met them. And who else?"

"Ludo, and Sir Didymus, and the wise man with the bird for a hat."

"Ok Wise guy was just doing his job, you were looking for help he gave you advise for the price of your ring, he's still handing out advise where it is needed, but he's a little harder to find, his choice. Sir Didymus is still on Guard Duty, and Ludo, sweet, sweet Ludo, He was the only one who you didn't royally screw up. He missed you like crazy fell into a depression when he realized you weren't coming back. Nearly died a time or too, so we sent him to wander somewhere else, where he can be happy, surrounded by rag dolls of his friends, or at least, happier then he was here."

"And _**Him**_?"

"My King, I'm afraid I'm not at liberty to discuss at this time, please check back later." Mari stopped and looked around, "let's see to get to Lana's we turn here, here and there then do a 180 over there walk to there and then do another 180 and turn left." She gave a definite nod before setting off again.

"How old are you? How long have you been here?"

"I'm 11." She said, before muttering, "Currently." "I've been here for a good long time. But today is not a day for my story. That day has long since past, you lose today then maybe you will one day learn my story but not today."

"Why?"

"Because you don't need to know it just yet. You don't need to understand me, should the time come that you do need to know about me then you may ask me again then, but no sooner."

"Oh. So this 'Lana' that we're going to see, who is she?"

"Only I call her that."

"What do I call her?"

"Your Ladyship." A voice said behind her, "Oh weary traveler, you took a wrong turn. Again." Sarah turned around to see a pretty young woman covered in chain mail and armor while attacking thick dark brown tresses with what looked like a very old comb.

"Oh, I was just following… her." She said gesturing toward the blonde who was no longer beside her.

"Following who, exactly?"

"Mary? No, Marie? No… sounded kinda like it though. She was Russian and English, she was about 4 feet tall, white blonde, big blue eyes, tan, blue and purple dress, barefoot, kinda rude…" and then Sarah added as an after thought, "She'll be really exotic looking when she grows up..." The brunette laughed,

"_Mari_! I should have known."

"Yes! That's it! Where is the shrimp anyway?"

"I don't know…"

"I'm here, I'm here! Belle got herself tangled in my hair." Mari said. "Sarah how many times must I tell you to not call me English!" with a heavy sigh she turned to the brunette, "Lana you remember Sarah Williams, Sarah this is Lady Alanna. Now I need to talk to her alone for a… bit…" She turned slowly to look at her longtime friend, "What…?" she said warily before she smacked herself on the forehead, "I keep forgetting. Alanna, it's me, I'm fine I'm good."

"You are 11."

"Yes, Can we…?" Mari gestured towards Sarah and Alanna opened and closed her mouth in a silent 'Ah.' of understanding.

"She doesn't know." Mari shook her head as they walked away from Sarah, "Stay there." Alanna ordered jabbing a finger at the spot where Sarah stood.

"Like Hell I will! I want my brother Back I don't have time to dillydally!"

"You _**will**_ get lost without a guide." Alanna told her.

"You're dillydallying!"

"Dilly Dally Silly Sally. I'll be back in a minute just don't wander off." Mari said while Sarah crossed her arms and patted a foot suddenly impatient.

"Ugh, she's 28 and still acts such a child." Alanna snorted.

"You're one to talk. Mar, I thought you weren't going to ever go below 14, what happened?"

"I got bored, and I miss my family so I turned the clock a little farther back then usual, anyway forget me what about _her_?"

"What about _her_?"

"What are we going to do?"

"We'll do what we always do, we'll take her to the Lake." Mari was chewing on her thumbnail a bauble was carried on the sudden wind.

"Well Hell! I'm being summoned!" she said with a little laugh.

"Mari, stop standing here, Go!" Mari touched the crystal lightly and it and the wind reversed course and with that she ran to keep up. Sarah watched as the little blonde zoomed past.

"Mari?" and she started after her when Alanna caught her arm,

"Don't."

"Why not? If she's going to Jareth then I want to follow he has my brother."

"She does not know where she's going, she'll follow the crystal until it stops, She might not go to the castle and anyway the Labyrinth is a forever changing place as I thought you would have remembered from your last trip here 13 years ago."

"What does that have to do with anything? She'll see him and he has my brother. Now let go."

"No, I'm not letting you leave. Wait a minute what am I saying? I don't even _like_ you!" Alanna dropped Sarah's arm, a little violently, almost throwing it away as though it burned her. Alanna brought her fingers to her mouth and gave a series of short and loud whistles and suddenly the ground began to shake. As Sarah turned to leave the ground stopped shaking and she walked straight into a large black nose.

"What the hell…?" Sarah breathed as she stepped back, taking in the sight of a roughly 6 foot tall dog who with one sniff immediately deemed Sarah as the enemy. When the dog began to let out an annoyed growl, her eyes fixed on Sarah, Alanna chastised her with a simple warning in her tone as she said her dog's name,

"Nettie…" When Alanna was ignored she snapped out, "Annette!" Annette was still focused on Sarah who was backing away and shrieking,

"It, it, it's Gonna _EAT ME!_"

"She, Not 'it', is Not going to eat you. She doesn't eat people, Nettie, down girl." Ignored by Annette once again Alanna walked over and gave a sharp tug on a floppy ear. "Annette!" she bit out sharply. "Be good. You don't eat people, _do you?_" she asked the big dog. Annette whined back and it sounded to Sarah as though she were saying 'for _this one_ I'd make an exception.' For that she got a light smack on the nose. "Now Sarah since the trail has gone cold you should just stay here."

"You're name is Alanna, right?"

"Correct."

"Why is Annette so big?"

"Not sure, after Staying here in the Labyrinth with me she just sort've kept growing, so now I can ride around on her back."

"What's the deal with Mari? She's really odd."

"Nightengale had a hard time before coming here as far as I understand it. She lost her family in a night and was never quite the same, and you do realize that I'm not actually telling you anything since she obviously didn't want to tell you herself."

"Yeah I do now. So what's your story?"

"My story is that I have issues with my hair getting tangled, I play the harp, I'm the second oldest… technically." She said thinking of Mari's ability to change what she looked like and how Alanna' time period was earlier then both Mari and Elspeth, "I have a giant dog and I'm the guardian of the lake."

"How old are you?"

"Dunno, stopped counting after 200. I was 17 when I came here though, so I guess I'm 18." Sarah thought better about telling Alanna she didn't believe that she was over 200 years old.

"And Mari?"

"Technically I think she's 87 but at the same time she's 17. Elspeth left England in 1899 at 18 so she's technically 19 but also about 100 now."

"I don't believe you."

"Do the math, Mari left home in 1912, Elspeth in 1899."

"And you?"

"No. I like not knowing. I prefer my world of make-believe." She held up her crystal bauble and Sarah took a step back, "This way I can see Máiréad whenever I want."

"Your daughter?" Sarah asked gently, Alanna looked at her taken aback,

"Heavens no!" she laughed. "Lord, my _daughter_? She's my baby sister!"

"What happened to her?"

"Nothing. She grew up. Let's get off the topic." Alanna said not wanting to give Sarah any more info then she already had.

"It's really pretty here. Weeping willow trees, blue water, Glinting sunlight, it's pretty as a picture!"

"It also feels very nice." Alanna said as she took off her armor and chainmail and stood in just her plain white chemise, she took off her shoes and loosely braided her long dark hair and walked slowly into the cool lake waters. "Come on Sarah, join me for a swim." She said, Sarah not seeing the glint in Alanna's eyes that came and went faster then a blink. "The water's great…"


	5. Chapter 4: Goblin Men

**We must not look at goblin men…**

As Mari ran after the wind and bauble she grew from exotic white blonde pre-teen to 28 year old Sarah look alike, her blue and purple sun dress tearing in the middle to fit her new form creating a vaguely pixieish style with a ragged top ending under her breastbone and her tattered skirt ending about mid thigh. She let out a surprised yelp as she was hoisted into the air by a rope around her ankle.

"Hello, Precious… Or should I say, Nightingale?" He drawled using her translated last name, Solovyov.

"How did you know it was me? I thought I did a pretty convincing job."

"Your eyes, Sarah's are green." His gorgeously un-matched eyes flicked to hers before examining her revealed underwear.

"Ah, the thing I can't change." She sighed while trying to disrupt the gaze she secretly longed for, by pushing her skirt down. "Jareth, This isn't funny, Let me down!"

"And I thought you were giving yourself to me as a gift…" He said repeating the words she'd thrown at Hoggle so very many years ago.

"Not to Toy with! You know I'll be of no use to you or the pretty little Princess if you do toy with me. She's why you keep me around." It was partially true, another reason was the three girls were fantastic entertainment. "Let me down please?" and with a dismissive wave of his hand the rope dissolved into glitter and Mari fell on her head. As soon as she landed she shrank from Sarah look alike into a 5 year old version of her true self who was on the brink of big fat crocodile tears.

"Owww…! What was that for?" She whined rubbing the top of her jaw length golden brown tresses that were just a twinge more brown then gold. Jareth glanced absently at the child who, sitting on her calves with toes together and knees apart as she held herself up with one hand on the ground between her knees, pouted up at him, bottom lip quivering.

"I won't speak to you while you are like this." Young Mari sighed, stood and grew from a little over three feet too two inches over 5 feet.

"Yes My King?" She asked as she adjusted and modified her top and skirt.

"You will Stop Alanna, and give Sarah these." He said handing her a peach, a ring and a tube of red lipstick. Mari examined the peach and then eyed her King.

"She'll never fall for it."

"Stop Alanna by whatever means necessary. And take Elspeth with you." He said before walking silently off. Mari walked over to Elspeth who was also strung up by an ankle.

"Can you get me down?" Elspeth asked handing Mari her violin and bow so they wouldn't get crushed.

"Can you braid my hair and walk?" Mari said grinning as she placed Elspeth's precious violin out of the way before climbing up on a tree limb and untying the knot around Elspeth's ankle dropping her on her head. "Oops, Sorry!" She called as she swung down to the ground. Elspeth stood up shook her head quickly and laughed.

"Identical bumps!" Mari sighed and smiled.

"C'mon, crazy girl."

"I'm not crazy! I'm just… original!" Mari laughed.

"Yes, yes I suppose you are. Now lets walk and braid." Elspeth wasn't crazy but she wasn't quite sane either, but who wouldn't be if they lived with an aunt who hated you and then when you finally get rid of her you had to go bring her back and then after finally, finally having gotten rid of her for good, she came backs. Then throw in the fact that one minute you're living with your mom, dad, and baby sister in Victorian England and 13 hours later you are living with goblins in an ever-changing Labyrinth.

"We're off to save the Preciously Precocious Princess's Posterior." Elspeth sang grappling with the long brown hair.

"Can we walk a little faster E?"

"Nightingale, once I start this braid I can run."

"Then Start it, I'm afraid of what Alanna might do to Sarah."

"Liar! You want Sarah out of the way as much as we do-maybe even more! After all, you are sweet on His Majesty," Elspeth said smiling. Of all Mari's flaws-nail biting, short temper, self-consciousness, along with being a tad full of herself from time to time, being easily distracted, her fear of losing more people close to her heart, and more-she considered her love for Jareth, a man whom she could never have, to be her worst flaw, one that, were she mortal, she would think to be possibly fatal one day.

At Mari's silence, Elspeth gave the braid a short but sharp tug. "Let's run." And so they ran, arriving at Alanna's humble abode just in time to hear the clink and rustle of metal against metal, the swishing and slight splashing of water and

"Come on Sarah, join me for a swim. The water's great…" they didn't see Sarah walk to the waters edge or stick her hand in to test the temperature but they did see her start to take a step into the water.

"Sarah! Wait!" Mari called, but Sarah wasn't listening.

"It's such a nice day out, and the water is so very nice. Won't you join me?"

"Alanna! Stop!" Elspeth called before Mari shoved the peach, ring and lipstick into her hands and ran as if her continued existence depended on it which, knowing how angry Jareth would be if Sarah died, was probably true. A stream of Gaelic obscenities burst into Alanna's mind when she saw Mari dive under the surface before she could change the lake in it's entirety from it's true acidic form to a lake of clear blue water. Mari surfaced next to Alanna.

"Ow." Was all she said, though it came out as more of a breathy whisper.

"Mari! Why in the name of sanity did you do that? You knew what would happen."

"King's orders. You didn't hear us so I did what I had to, and trust me I'm kinda regretting it. DON'T touch…" Mari said stiffening when Alanna tried to put a hand on her shoulder.

"Sorry!" Alanna whimpered. "Ouch, that looks…"

"Painful?" Mari laughed.

"Yeah. C'mon, let's get you cleaned up."

"I'll be all right. I just need some vodka. Or stavlenniy myod or maybe some Japanese Sake…" Mari gave a giggle similar to the one she'd let out when she saw Sarah poisoned on Elspeth's floor.

"Sarah, shut your eyes." Elspeth told her, Sarah's head jerked towards her voice.

"Elspeth… You Tried to _Poison_ Me!"

"Unintentionally I assure you." She said sounding just a tad like Jareth, consequence of being around him so much.

"What ever. …Who is that girl? The one who is talking to Alanna."

"Hmm? You didn't recognize her voice?"

"I never heard her speak. I can barely hear her now."

"Well, see if you recognize her eyes or her voice when she comes near. If you don't I'll tell you, but be warned, it gets a little complicated, and you won't hear all of it now. Stay here I'll be back." Elspeth said before vanishing into Alanna's cottage and bringing out a towel.

"Thanks." Mari mouthed as she gingerly accepted the towel and wrapped it loosely under her arms as she stepped onto the lakeshore. Elspeth nodded before shoving a bowl into Sarah's hands.

"Come on."

"Where are we going?"

"Salve scooping."

"Huh?" Sarah asked as she walked after Elspeth.

"You kneel at the bank dip the bowl in the light green, denser areas of the lake, generally where the leaves touch the water. Just scoop it into the bowl, and if the water becomes clear but the bowl isn't full move to another spot."

"And when I'm done?"

"Come inside and do what Alanna tells you."

"What about Toby?"

"You'll have enough time." She said before disappearing into the house.

The new girl's confusing familiarity perturbed Sarah as she did what she was told, be it salve scooping or just standing out of the way as Alanna and Elspeth gently peeled away the girl's damaged skin, it bothered her so much that she simply had to ask,

"Who _are_ you?" The blue eyes flicked up to Sarah's green and she gave a small laugh.

"Hn. Surprised. You haven't figured it out. Shouldn't be." She picked up the end of the long brown braid that hung on her shoulder. "Hair and age makes such a difference."

"What's your name?"

"Dimitri called me 'Shivsbik' or 'Imp', but my name means, Daughter of the sea, Kitten, and, as Jareth and Elspeth call me, Nightingale, Most people however, like Alanna simply call me—" She said disinterestedly.

"Mari!" Sarah said, perking up in surprise and recognition as the words rang a bell in Sarah's memory.

"Hi." Mari said, her voice flat and emotionless.

"But…"

"Here it comes." Alanna muttered.

"I told her it was complicated." Elspeth practically hissed.

"3… 2…1…" Alanna said softly waving a finger around, unintentionally drawing the sign for 'infinity' in the air and giving a sort of flick towards Sarah with her wrist as Sarah asked the predicted question,

"How?" 4 voices chimed in perfect sync. Sarah looked taken aback.

"She gets that a lot." Elspeth explained simply.

"On an unrelated side note, Does anyone have any chap-stick, or lip gloss or something? My lips are really dry…"

"Oh, I almost forgot, I believe these… are yours." She said holding out the ring, lipstick, and the peach.

"We must not look at goblin men, we must not buy their fruits: Who knows upon what soil they fed

Their

hungry,

thirsty

roots?"

Sarah recited when she saw the peach in Elspeth's hand, but she reached for the ring and lipstick anyway, slipping the ring on to her right hand and coloring her lips with the glitterfied lipstick.

"Yeah, too bad you didn't know that little poem the last time you were here huh? It'd have saved you a lot of trouble. But this one's safe, honest." Elspeth grinned tucking her pinky down with her thumb and holding up her remaining three fingers together.

"Girl Scouts Honor?" Sarah said dryly, a twitch of a smile on her lips. Three pairs of eyebrows creased.

"What's a 'girl scout'?" Alanna asked.

"Uhhh…" Sarah said, "Never mind." And then her world went dark. When she opened her eyes she was lying down on the floor and something was poking her side. She turned her head to see what it was and nearly screamed when she saw a chibified Jareth sitting on his knees beside her. She sat up quickly and scrambled backwards, away from him.

"Oh, look she's awake…" Mari mused as she walked out of a doorway wearing a pretty white dress with sleeves that flared out around her elbows just under green ribbons that matched the green ribbon edging the bodice's double v neckline. At the point in the front v, white pearls formed a 'Y' shape. Circling slim hips was a wreath of red roses, and around mid thigh three pearls headed symmetrical flares of fabric that went completely around the skirt, the white fabric flowing gently to the floor. A long brown braid swung like a rope behind her and when she crouched next to Sarah it nearly touched the floor.

"Hey Mar?" Alanna said, "While you're down there, see if she's running a fever." Mari nodded and, shoving diagonally cut bangs out of the way, she felt her own forehead before feeling Sarah's.

"She feels fine to me." She said looking at Alanna and Elspeth who were washing out the bowls and towels they had used to collect and manipulate the salve from the lake. "Thanks for the dress, by the way Alanna. Fits like a glove, maybe a little long, but otherwise." She said and as she stood something shiny caught Sarah's eye and she turned to look.

"No problem, it's not like Máiréad was ever going to use it." Sarah reached up and quickly tugged the shiny tube free from the roses around Mari's hips, Mari didn't even seem to notice. Sarah turned it over in her hands and discovered what the shiny tube really was.

"It's a flute!"

"Yes, be gentle please, it's very dear to me."

"Who's 'Dimitri'?" Sarah asked reading the name engraved on the back.

"My brother, it was his, only thing I've got left of him now." Mari had come to terms with her family's death, it still hurt but she liked her nickname again, and she didn't break down crying when she talked about them, She had even learned to play her brother's flute in memory of them. It had taken some talking to Jareth to let Mari go back and retrieve the instrument but he'd finally agreed. Sarah looked up at Elspeth and Alanna, the fact that the girls were not wearing what they had been before Sarah blacked out didn't even register in her mind.

Instead of Alanna's chainmail, armor and chemise she wore a simple red dress with gold accents, short, billowy purple sleeves and similar symmetrical insets to what Mari had only Alanna's were purple and bordered in gold and amethyst rather then pearls. Draped from her right hip was a purple sash held together with an amethyst clip and dangling from the ends of the sash and her sleeves were tiny gold crescent moons and stars.

Elspeth's dress was the simplest and perhaps the closest to what she wore in England. It was a white dress with off-the-shoulder straps while the skirt fell to the floor in an almost straight drop in the front, but the back was gathered in a slight bustle, pink blossoms rimmed the bottom of the skirt, the edge of the bodice and around the neckline.

Sarah considered the flute and the pointed it like a weapon at where Jareth had knelt, where in his place sat a fluffed out white barn owl looking at her with giant, round, crystal blue eyes. And despite the fact that Jareth had her brother she couldn't help but let out a small, "Aw…" when she looked at the fluffy little creature. When Sarah looked back up at the girls she saw several people who had not been there a moment ago, There was a 12 year old girl, in what looked like a night dress, 3 sets of parents, a 7 year old girl in a bright green party dress, and a 13 year old boy. When she saw them Sarah jumped right out of her skin, literally.

She knew she'd really left her skin, not only because she felt in, but because she could see it reflected in a mirror that leaned against the wall across from her, half hidden in shadows that seemed to be laughing at her. She could have sworn that the mirror had not been there when she'd walked in. She saw herself re-enter her skin as the nine people, who had somehow simply appeared in the room, were suddenly surrounding her. She didn't see them move or hear them or anything they were absolutely silent. It freaked her out further that they were just staring at her and that three of them were covered in blood and one of the three had some very obviously broken bones along with a twisted piece of metal jutting out of his stomach.

As she stared, and they stared back she barely heard Mari walk over and say,

"I'll take that flute back now please Sarah." Sarah watched as Mari not only reached through the boy without acknowledging that he was even there but as she walked completely through him, no longer wearing the pretty white dress she'd seen earlier but a simple, pale pink, spaghetti strapped sun dress, that was covered in blood. Sarah Blinked and looked at Mari again, now seeing that she was about 11 and there was blood not only on her dress but on her face, in her hair, on her hands, and on her lips. She gently grasped the flute and pulled it out of Sarah's trembling hands.

Sarah rubbed her eyes hard and looked at where Mari had been standing just a moment ago covered in blood, Mari still stood there but she was wearing the white dress again and the flute was tucked carefully at her hip again. When she looked at the people she now knew to be ghosts, she was shocked to find they had all grown 6 years older, and that the three who were covered in blood, looked completely normal.

She looked down when she felt something slimy wind around her wrists and ankles, while many something's crawled up her arms and legs. Snakes and spiders was what she felt. She stared down at them in horror before screaming bloody murder, and thrashing about. She thrashed harder when she felt leather clad hands grasp her shoulders.

"Sarah, Sarah, wake up. Sarah, Open your eyes." She slowly stopped moving when she realized who was talking to her. Even more slowly she opened her eyes and looked into the blue eyes of Jareth, worry, sorrow, and torturous guilt plagued their depths, along with something else, something warm and soft.

"Jareth…" Sarah whispered and a genuine smile graced his imperfectly perfect mouth.

"Welcome back, Precious."

"What's going on? Who were those people? Why was Mari covered in blood?" Sarah asked, her questions pouring out of her like the frightened tears that soaked her cheeks.

"I am truly sorry, I gave you the things you left here thinking it would be fine, not knowing that the lipcolor you left had become hallucenagenic."

"I must still be hallucinating if you're saying sorry, How do I wake up?"

"Eat the peach." Alanna said, making herself known. "You'll be taken to the crystal ball room and when you leave you'll be awake."

"How would that work? Besides what makes you think I _ever _eat peaches?"

"The crystal ball is a version of reality, not a hallucination. You could call it a dream, but if it is then like all dreams you can choose to wake up from it."

"How do I know any of this is real? How do I know this isn't just another hallucination?"

"You won't know for sure until you want to know. 13 years ago you chose your brother and the Aboveground as your reality, if you chose that again this time, should you win again, then the Labyrinth will fade to your memories and unless you make the mistake of wishing someone or something away again, you will be unbothered by my goblins or my person."

"Or your criminally tight pants?" Jareth chuckled,

"You take note of my fashion Sarah? How you flatter me." Sarah blushed,

"Jareth, you are about a subtle as a shotgun when it comes to your wardrobe. But Still I won't eat the peach."

"Ugh, what if you knew it was safe?"

"Then Yeah, to regain control I'd eat the damn fruit." Alanna nodded and walked out the door but not before saying,

"See you on the other side Jareth."


	6. Chapter 5: To Love or Not to Love

This chapter is dedicated to my Best friend and adopted sister because her birthday is tomorrow and this is her first present. I hope you enjoy it and I'll try not to be so long with the next one. Happy 18th Birthday Alex.

**To love or not to love?**

"Sarah, Sarah, Sarah." Her name was whispered as he shook his white blonde head, "Why must you get yourself into such trouble?"

"It's part of my charm." She smiled weakly, He laughed, she was surprised to find she wanted to hear him laugh, pined for his smile.

"So it is." He said brushing a strand of her hair out of her eyes. Elspeth pressed a peach with three bites taken out of it into Sarah's hand and after a few moments of debate she took a bite of the peach.

Jareth walked through the ballroom wearing his most kingly and showy outfit looking for his Sarah. He hadn't chosen her dress this time as he'd done when she was 15 by plucking the memory of the dancer in her music box and forming a reality from it, no this time he'd left it to her own subconscious imagination with a little help from the Labyrinth.

Elspeth saw Jareth before Mari or Sarah. It was no wonder their little Nightingale had fallen for the man, he was gorgeous, especially when he dressed up! His pale blonde hair, blue eyes, arched eyebrows, and god the _**wardrobe**_! Tonight he'd chosen an outfit she swore was woven from the sky. The outside of his cloak was that of a tawny sunset, just before the rise of the moon, the inside the silver of moonlight. His shirt was claret, edged in gold, peeking out from under the sleeves and the neckline that dipped clear down to his naval was ruffled white lace. Tucked into his favorite black boots were breeches of what looked like brown doe skin.

Elspeth felt a cool hand on her shoulder, making her start. "Don't worry, 'tis simply me." Elspeth relaxed visibly. "Nice dress."

"Alanna, Don't do that." Elspeth looked down at her self, seeing a pretty gown. The bodice was Dark purple as was the main skirt. Connected to a silver and amythst belt a layer of white skirting floated gently atop a slightly longer pale purple layer which stopped two thirds of the way down the main skirt. Running down the center of the dark purple skirt was a white panel of embroidered morning glories. The neckline and the bands between the alternating white then purple puffs of her sleeves, which like the bottom of the dress was rimmed in white lace, matched the silver of the belt at her waist.

"Yes, I suppose it is a nice dress. Yours looks fun." She said searching the crowd from behind a white mask with purple swirls with three white barn owl feathers sprouting from a blue jewel in the center of the mask's forehead.

"Haven't had the chance to test it out yet. Has got a great skirt on it…" Alanna mused from behind her own mask. Both masks matched except that Alanna had red swirls rather then purple_. _Alanna wore a long sheath dress that subtly rippled into folds starting at mid-thigh. It was strapless with a sweet heart neckline in front and cut down to her mid-lower back. She had detachable sleeves that started on her upper arm and fell into rippled folds like the bottom of her dress. Her dress flowed to the floor covering her barefeet, Alanna couldn't stand the heels she got stuck wearing at social gatherings like this.

"Look." Alanna said pointing to a figure in a bright dress, long brown hair falling down her back in corkscrew curls.

"Wow, that is one H E double fire pokers (hell) of a dress." As the figure walked past people looked and then got out of the way. The figure wore a halter-topped dress with an empire waist, fabric wrapped around her torso before falling into a full skirt at her hips. The dress looked as though it was made of fire, not only in the way it moved but in color as well, there were reds and oranges and yellows all mixed in together. If someone could take the fire that burned in the hearth in Jareth's bedchambers into a dress, that dress would look like this one and its matching mask. "Looks like the competition for his heart has begun."

"No, this is where it ends." Alanna said as she got swept into a waltz by none other then Jareth. Elspeth's jaw hit the floor when Jareth spun Alanna into the waiting arms of another and picked her (Elspeth) up.

"Are you avoiding someone Majesty?"

"Not at all." He said spinning her towards a staircase. "She has to come down sometime."

"Why not just go fetch her yourself?" Jareth didn't answer her, instead spun her out to eye the stair case where the sky blue hem of a dress suddenly peeked out.

"I can't believe I'm doing this." Sarah chanted under her breath. "Oh, I'll kill that man."

"You match. Why am I not surprised?" Jareth grinned and handed her off to another dancer.

Mari gave a slender hand to a masked fey with a bronze dagger belted at his waist who as the tempo changed swept her into a Viennese waltz where they became like two dancers in a child's music box. "If you could help me get over to those stairs I'd be much obliged." Mari told her silent partner who did dance her over to the stairs giving her a dizzying round of spins at the very end. By the time she had regained her composure enough to mange a polite curtsey he'd gone. She turned, looked up and saw a sight that would be burned in her memory for as long as she lived. A tall young woman with smooth brown hair and green eyes at the top of the stairs wearing a dress the epitome of the Goblin queen.

In fact it practically screamed it. The dress had a corseted sweetheart bodice in midnight blue with sparkling stars winking in the light. The midnight blue continued down most of the skirt, accompanied by glittering stars until fading down past her knees to a bright sky blue. Down the center of the skirt was a panel of oranges, yellows, red, and dark pinks, the colors of a fantastical sunset. Matching the bracelet that circled her upper arm, the dress had rings of gold circling it in a gravity defying fashion topping it all off

The rings began just under the sweet heart of the bodice curling around before running down almost the length of the bodice, sweeping out and behind, no longer attached to the dress now, crossing midway down the back of the skirt before coming back around the front and curling in just over the start of the panel and finishing in a single spiral curl on either side of the panel.

Mari looked to Jareth who had noticed Sarah instantly. After careful deliberation she went to his side gave a quick curtsey a whispered "Your Majesty." Before she turned and went to tell her rival about her sudden epiphany. Mari reached the top of the stairs and taking Sarah's hand she pulled her back in the dressing room. Suddenly Mari stopped, seeing the dressing room. "Were you really so desperate to get out of here and to avoid His Majesty that you would wreck a simple dressing room?" Mari asked with a dry laugh.

"It worked last time." Sarah said warily. "Why're you here Mari? You've made it very clear you don't like me."

"You're right. I _don't _ like you. However, I must ask you a question." As she spoke she turned to face Sarah. "Look, I'm probably never going to _like _you. But you're obviously special."

"Spit it out Marinochka." Sarah wheezed.

"Do- Are you ok?" Mari asked noting the shallow breaths Sarah was trying to take.

"Do I what?" She asked, her voice trailing away at the end.

"I _was _going to ask if you loved his Majesty but now I'm more concerned with why you are having trouble breathing."

"Fine. Just. Fine. And No. I don't." Sarah told Mari before going down the stairs. She stepped down off the last step and walked right past Jareth in her effort to avoid him. Unfortunately, he caught her wrist in his bare hand, a sensation that made her turn and allowed him to bring the rest of her into frame for a Waltz. She glowered at him as he danced her to the middle of the room.

"I

I will be king

And you

You will be queen"

"Oh No. Don't Sing." Sarah protested.

"Though nothing will

Drive them away

We can beat them

Just for one day

We can be Heroes

Just for one day"

"Rotten bastard." She mumbled as she tried to take her hand away.

"And you

You can be mean

And I

I'll drink all the time

'Cause we're lovers

And that is a fact

Yes we're lovers

And that is that

Though nothing

Will keep us together

We could steal time

Just for one day

We can be Heroes

For ever and ever

What d'you say"

"I say No!"

"Oh but Sarah mine…" Jareth whispered in her ear.

"Nu-uh." She said trying to focus on breathing instead of his distractingly hot breath on her neck.

"Such a pity."

"_What_… is such a… _**pity**_?" she ground out between breaths.

"The Lady doth protest too much, Methinks." He whispered into her ear, sending shivers she tried to fight down her spine, and raising goosebumps on her arms.

"Stop it Jareth." Sarah said in her best warning tone as she did her best to free her self from his horribly tantalizing grip of iron that she could feel through the steel boned corset. "Let go. Seriously, I like to think that I've done remarkably well of not using those _**words**_for the past thirteenyears. Do not make me break that record."

"You've already broken it Precious."

"Ok, well not consciously! And besides I didn't even mean them!"

"What's said is Said."

"Ooh. I'm hard pressed to stop resisting the urge to hurt you right now."

"Would you dare-?"

"Let. Me. Go." She said, each word was bitten off as she glared up at him.

"Let the girl Go Jareth." A new male voice said behind Sarah.

"And… Who're you?" She asked turning around.

"Only your worst nightmare."

"Oh that is SO Cliché. You probably don't know enough about me to be my worst nightmare"

"I know you're Sarah Wiliams, aged 28, and you work with young, helpless, innocent kids who come from shitty backgrounds."

"You can find all of that, and a little more on a little website called IMDB. I'm an actress as well, not a big star, just small gigs here and there for fun. Now if you don't mind I was in the middle of going to find and rescue my little brother in the remaining time. Now Jareth, release." But Jareth's grip just got tighter as he brought himself just that much closer to her.

"Not Everything is how it seems Sarah. Especially not Fae."

"Next time we fight remind me to bring that up as another reason of why I don't like you. Now, I'm not 15 anymore and I'm not scared of him. You've had your Dance now let me go so I can go find Toby." She said as she used the childish but generally effective method of peeling his elegant fingers off of her corset, which she seemed to have gotten used to for the most part.

Once he realized what she was doing he first tried to replace his fingers after she'd pried them off but she held them securely captive, and then pressed his palms in harder, like he was trying to get them to meet despite her waist being in the way. Yet for all his efforts she managed to slip out of his grasp.

"Sarah…"

"Going now." Sarah said as she started walking away.

"Not so fast." The other Fae said grabbing her gloved wrist.

"Oh you're kidding." She groaned as she was yanked back against a solid chest. "Let go of me, I _have_ to get to my brother. He's 14 years old and probably surrounded by goblins. It will have a terrible impact on his psyche if I don't get him out of here and back to a normal life."

"Sarah, I'm insulted, you were here at 15 and you turned out just fine." Jareth informed her with a smirk as he took her other gloved hand. As he looked above her head his expression changed, instead of playful mockery his eyes were furious. "Release her."

"I think not." The Fae told him. "I'm Skuld by the way, Lady Sarah." Skuld informed her as he unsheathed a cold iron dagger with a copper hilt and guard and pressed it to her neck.

"Oh. Oh this is not good. This is really, _really _not good! Jareth who is this nut!"

"Sarah. Don't move." Jareth ordered. "You obviously wanted my attention or you would be holding my Sarah hostage. What is it you want?" He spoke calmly but inside, his mind was racing, one thought was clear. Save Sarah. He pressed his pendant into Sarah's hand as subtly as possible.

"If you want the Lady back alive, you will step down from your throne."

"Ok… Skuld… stop calling me that, and get the dagger in your hand away from my neck." She said, playing the negotiator because even though she hid it well, she was terrified.

"I'm afraid that you are not in a position to be negotiating Lady Sarah. This blade isn't going anywhere until Jareth here steps down." The second Skuld's eyes were off of Jareth he struck. One second the blade was at Sarah's neck and the next it was in Jareth's hand as he bent the offending Fae's hand back until the wrist bones shattered beyond repair.

With his hand still holding tightly to hers Jareth gave Sarah a good yank away from the fae in sudden mortal peril. He let go of her to ram the cold iron blade under Skuld's shoulder blade where the wrist motion needed to dig it out himself would be hard enough with a functioning wrist but with a demolished one, it would be nigh impossible to do on his own.

"If you ever so much as think about threatening Sarah again the end you will meet will be far more torturous then what you are about to experience. I guarantee it." Jareth hissed as he twisted the blade to maximize pain. "I will deal with you later." And with that the body of mangled pain vanished and in a strange second Sarah realized Jareth had stopped exuding glitter and flair.

She felt the cold metal of his pendant in her hand through her glove and glanced down at it. Before she had time to think of why he had given it to her she was wrapped in his arms with his hands caressing her hair. His lips were pressed gently to the top of her head, the soothing motion of his hands stroking her tresses made her realize she was shaking.

"Are you alright?" He whispered into her hair, "Did that bastard hurt you?" Sarah touched her throat and feeling no blood she answered.

"No, I'm alright." She pulled away to look at him, "Can I get out of here?" He smiled lopsidedly down at her and in a poof of glitter Jareth took her back to Alanna's humble abode.

"I'm not traipsing around the Labyrinth in _this_." She told him looking down at her dress.

"Why not?" Came Mari's voice.

"We did it." Alanna remarked.

"Well, they did. I didn't. I stopped at the very beginning. I am not nor was I ever a puzzle person." Elspeth commented dryly as she poked her black hair back into a bun.

"Well I'm not you two." Sarah told them rolling her eyes. Jareth looked at them and the three turned and scampered inside closing the door with a loud Click as the lock slid into place. "What was that about?" She asked as she turned back to him. She lifted her eyes to his and froze. There was something there that she swore hadn't been before. Sarah cleared her throat and reaching up, re-clasped his pendant around his neck. His white blonde hair tickled the backs of her hands.

"I was not a King when I saved you, just a man protecting what he loves." He whispered in her ear. "Don't defy me Sarah." He said before pressing his lips to hers in what she'd only read about as a soul shattering kiss. When she didn't fight him she thought she must be crazy when she returned the kiss she swore she must've gone insane.

"The King kisses no one but his Queen." He said before he, in a dramatic flouph of glitter, transformed into a white barn owl and flew away leaving her more confused then ever. The click of a dead bolt sliding back broke her out of her thoughts. The door creaked open and out slid a pale arm in a purple sleeve that jiggled a green dress at her.


	7. Chapter 6: Mine

**Mine. **

"So, how do I get all this glitter out of my hair?" Sarah asked, mildly annoyed as she itched and scratched at her scalp while she changed in to a green dress with dark gold trim. It was the kind of dress she hadn't worn since she was 15, something her suppressed inner princess delighted in wearing again. Her aching feet were encased in a pair of the softest, most supple, cushiest, most comfortable leather slippers the world had ever known.

"You take about 20 baths and use a basket load of hair soap." Elspeth said adjusting the black mesh shirt she wore over a bright purple halter-top and breeches.

"All of which you can do later." Alanna said handing Sarah two hair sticks sharpened to a deadly point to put her hair up with.

After a short growl of malcontent she inquired as to why she suddenly had escorts.

"We're here to make sure no one else tries to hold you hostage for some ulterior motive." Alanna told her, "Now put your hair up. If anyone tries to grab your hair they'll get stabbed by those sticks."

"Why am I the one they're going after? He stole my brother! TWICE! It's not like I'm Mari over there who actually likes the Son of a Bog monster." She snarled as they walked in the direction of what had better be the castle.

Mari snorted as she pulled at the pale blue tunic with long, loose sleeves she wore over a pair of wide legged pleated white pants. "You really still don't get it do you? What you pointed out is true, I am very fond of him but he does not return my sentiments. "

"As long as you didn't say anything… or keep daggers and arrows on your person… you could all be normal people in Alphabet city. Alanna, _what_ is with the dagger?" Sarah commented as she took it all in, Alanna with a long sleeved, v-necked blue top with long black breeches and a braided leather belt from which hung a sheathed dagger.

"Have you ever gone hunting with a knife? I know neither Mari nor Elspeth have any experience with it. I can sneak up on someone in silence and I can skin just about anything, hence I have the sharp pointy implement."

"Oh." Then, "And the Arrows?"

"I'm a decent shot with a bow." Mari told her, ignoring Sarah's surprise as Mari's skin tone darkened to a nice tan and her hair bleached itself white. She wrapped a piece of leather around a chunk that fell at her collarbone. She drew an arrow from her quiver and wiggled it in front of Sarah "This arrow head is made from the same material as the knife with the copper hilt and guard along with Alanna's dagger and those sticks in your hair."

"And that is important why?"

"Cold Iron. It's toxic to Fae, especially if it gets into the bloodstream. If a Fae were to touch something made of cold iron it would burn like acid and if it gets into their blood stream or just stays in the body for too long, like say they were stabbed with it, then the metal would rather quickly poison and in all likely-hood kill them. It would also cause extreme pain." Alanna explained. "Hence why your assailant is probably just about dead."

And just about dead Skuld was, the only reason he wasn't yet was because Jareth was in the middle of figuring out who sent him.

"If you tell me what I want to know I'll let you die quickly. I've avoided the veins and arteries so far but if you don't tell me what I want to know, I'll stop avoiding them and you will slowly bleed while the blade poisons you." Jareth threatened as he slowly started pushing the blade into the thigh muscle. Screams echoed in the dark, dank oubliette.

When the screaming stopped Jareth spoke "Now, Who sent you and are there going to be any more threats against Sarah?" Skuld panted and sweated but his lips stayed sealed, so to speak.

Several hours of torture went by in the dungeon like room before the pained Fae spilled the beans.

"Veradani! Veradani is behind it all. She wants to be ruler! And since you've got plans of making that mortal your queen she thought she'd use me to get you to step down. She thinks that out of concern for your mortal woman you'll step down as King of the Underground. She won't stop. Not until she has your throne."

"What is she going to do to Sarah?"

"Anything, everything. What ever she can do to get your throne she will, even if it means disposing of the girl."

"For that I will give you a quick death." Jareth said before sweeping out of the room. A goblin held up a wash bowl and rag in which Jareth dissolved an odorless, tasteless, fast acting poison absorbed through the skin, a poison to which goblins were immune. Receiving the King's nod of approval the goblin walked in to the dungeon and washed away the blood. Shortly thereafter the goblin walked out signifying the death of the perpetrator. Jareth poofed his way upstairs and knocked on the door in front of him with gloved knuckles depositing his usual cloud of glitter over the goblin and just outside the door.

A blonde, blue eyed boy of 14 opened the door grinning from ear to ear, from behind him came a chorus of "Hi King."

"Enjoying ourselves are we?" Jareth asked as he came in and sat down on the big bed folding his hands behind his head, ankles crossed, looking the epitome of regally relaxed while being anything but.

"Yeah! They were just filling me in on the Chicken races!"

"Oh were they?"

"Yeah! Hey, Hey Jareth? Is Sarah here? Can I see her? You left a crystal ball thing here but I can't make it work." Jareth smirked,

"That's because Sarah isn't your dream Toby."

Crestfallen Toby hung his head, "Oh. Does that mean I can't see her?"

"She is however Mine." And with that and a wave of a gloved hand Jareth produced one of his crystal balls and held it up to the light until a flash of a brown bun and green eyes became visible. Perking up Toby clambered up next to Jareth and watched his sister and three other girls as they raced past hedges and brick walls. The smallest with her bow and arrow drawn shoved Sarah through an archway. Toby looked at Jareth,

"Why are they running?"

"Stay here with the goblins. If _**anything**_ goes wrong, summon me." And with that he poofed away, with out his usual flair of glitter.

Jareth poofed in beside Elspeth, who had been shoved into a hedge, silently before asking, "Where is Sarah?"

"Garden, looking for Blartch, thought it was safest since you can't take her to the castle yourself, rules and all. The girls in the garden will help her if she gets lost." With that information Jareth poofed away to find Sarah in the nearby garden leaving Elspeth stuck in a very pointy hedge with a goblin smiling at her.

A tall cat-like woman materialized in front of Mari and Alanna, her hair fell in sleek coffee-colored waves to end just above her tailbone. Her green and gold flecked brown eyes surveyed the pair before her, those slanted eyes watched every movement they made as Mari took aim and Alanna's hand twitched with the desire to end it right then and there.

"Who are you?" Alanna demanded.

"Oh I _should_ have known better, never send a henchman to do a Usurper's job. But I _had_ hoped this would go over smoothly, I do _so_ hate muddying my gloves."

"Dirtying your hands." Mari corrected.

"Yes, yes, what ever that idiotic human saying is." Alanna repressed a shudder at the voice. It was like oil disguised as honey, sweet and pure in it's main sound while it had distinct undertones of slick, slimy, slithering oil.

"I'll ask you again, who are you. What is your name?" Alanna demanded once more as she popped the button on her sheath, allowing her fingers to wrap around the hilt of her dagger.

"My, my, such a demanding little one. Why should my name be of any consequences to two who are practically babes in arms?"

"Would a 'babe in arms' be able to do this?" Mari muttered as she let her arrow fly, drawing another and notching it before the first had even made contact with her target's general vicinity. "Next time it will be your stomach." She warned as her first arrow made contact with the woman's plum colored left sleeve, tearing it and giving her a cruel, burning scratch on her upper arm.

"Cold Iron? What a clever little pet." The woman purred as she smiled darkly at Mari. Distracted she didn't notice the small blade Alanna threw until it whizzed past her ear.

"Tell me your name or I stop missing."

A sudden thought struck Elspeth, she crouched down as best she could to whisper in the smiling goblin's ear. The goblin stopped smiling and nodded as she whispered, he listened intently before bursting out of the hedge and running full tilt boogie back to Alanna's house by the lake.

"Hello? …Blartch is it?" Sarah asked tentatively the back of a goblin whose red hair went in every scraggly direction possible. He turned around with a grunt and then upon seeing who his newfound companion was dropped to his knobby knees.

"Lady! I grovel at feet!" he exclaimed, attacking her new black velvet flats with sloppy, slobbery kisses. She shrieked and shuffled back a few steps. But Blartch was undeterred, he shuffled forward on his knees and tried again. This continued for a while, Sarah shuffling backwards in circles and Blartch trying to kiss her feet.

"Would. You. _Stop _that? I have to get to the castle beyond the goblin city and Mari said you could help me but so far you've done nothing but kiss my feet which is most definitely _**Not **__**Helping**_!"

Jareth saw Sarah and his heart nearly stopped beating in his chest. With her dark hair coiled into a bun she was breath stoppingly beautiful to him in her dress of green and gold. Bands crossing over the top of her arms, just under her shoulders, made the fabric puff slightly before flowing down into long, trumpet style sleeves. He resisted the urge to reach out and trace the edge of the square neckline with his fingers, resisted the desire to take the iron senbon needles keeping her bun in place out and watch her hair tumble down. He wanted to run his fingers over the belt woven from actual four leaved clovers, honeysuckle and jasmine flowers that wreathed the tops of her hips. Their eyes caught as she looked up.

"Jareth, why is Blartch trying to kiss my feet?" Sarah asked as she picked up her skirt and proceeded to yank her feet away from the Scottish looking goblin currently attempting a most literal translation of 'groveling at one's feet'.

Lost in his thoughts he almost didn't hear the question, but as his mind registered she had spoken he blinked and waited for his ears to catch up. Unsure how to answer he settled for a simple, "He likes you."

Sarah glared at him and let out a sarcastic "No kidding! I hadn't noticed."

"No need for sarcasm Precious."

"Would you make him stop?"

"Say the right words…"

"Please?" she grinned cheekily at him making him chuckle.

"The _other_ right words Sarah."

Silence.

"No. I won't do that. I'll get out of here on my own." She said defiantly as she turned on her heel (ignoring the goblin who trailed after her heels) and sought out the first person she saw, a girl with stone wings, black hair tipped in pumpkin orange wearing an open backed top with, halleluiah, blue-jeans. "Excuse me? I'm…"

"Sarah Williams. I'm Elle, how can I be of service Your Majesty?" Elle jumped in cutting Sarah off as she turned to face the stunned young woman.

"Your _Majesty_? I'm not—You don't have to—What I mean is—" Flustered, Sarah sighed, "Just tell me how to get out of here, please." Elle giggled taking Sarah's hand, and leading her away.

"This way."

"Thank you so much!" Sarah said when Elle lead her out of the garden.

"My pleasure, a word of advice if you'll take it Majesty, Keep your hand on the wall as you go. Also keep an eye on your watch." Elle dipped her head in respect before slipping back into the garden. Sarah Fastened the watch Elle had slipped into her hand around her right wrist noting with mild amusement that it had thirteen hours around it's face.

"_Majesty_?" Sarah whispered to herself, utterly perplexed, no one had ever called her 'Your Majesty' before, why should they? She wasn't royalty, she wasn't even nobility! She walked hurridly, trailing her fingers against the wall as she went, silently wishing she had someone to talk to. She didn't hear the wing beats of the white bird that followed behind her.


	8. Chapter 7: Explanations and Temptations

**Explanations and Temptations**

'Damn it.' Jareth swore silently so as not to alert Sarah to his presence. He was being summoned, likely by a new runner he would have to deal with, but no matter how many summonses he received, he was not about to leave his Sarah alone and. If Veradani managed to get past Alanna and Nightingale then Sarah was in danger and he could do nothing until or rather, unless Sarah said the right words which he knew she wasn't about to do stubborn creature that she was, but that why he was attracted to her, part of the reason anyway. Another reason was that she was so fiery, it made her fun to be around, as long as she wasn't angry with you in which case Jareth figured he best hide in an oubliette 'till she cooled down. And she was charming, so charming that if she wasn't so deeply _good_ she'd make a wonderful con artist.

Jareth's thoughts of Sarah were interrupted as the summons pulled at him once more. A rustle in the hedge wall beside them alerted him to an idea. The summons lingered in his mind, rather like that annoying itch everyone got that they could never scratch without doing something that looked so utterly silly and ridiculous, as he dove into the hedge grasped cloth in his beak and erupted back out of the hedge depositing a tall, gangly goblin in front of a startled Sarah. He was glad his subjects had taken to her so well, and especially now that she was here and they all saw that she was very much real and not some made up girl from a fae-tail (no pun intended).

Sarah stopped walking, and looked from the goblin dropped at her feet to the fluffy white owl and back again before it dawned on her. Suddenly irritated she glowered at the owl. "Jarethhh…" She hissed, if she hadn't been so mad, she'd have sworn she saw him shrink away from her. "Were you _Following_ me?" The Owl sighed in what sounded like exasperation, _rolled _ _his eyes_, something Sarah didn't even know an owl could do, but then this just so happened to be **Jareth **she was thinking about. He touched his smooth beak to her unsuspecting lips before turning to the goblin at her feet.

Jareth flapped at him and clicked his beak before giving a "Hoo-oo-oot, hoo, hoooot, hoot." Bowing the goblin turned to Sarah and translated

"Sarah, there is an urgent summons I must see to, the explanation for my actions as well as your reactions to my actions will have to wait. Scooter will assist you in my absense." Jareth gave a deft nod, quickly nuzzled Sarah's warm cheek with his soft, white, feathered face before promptly flying off. She watched him for a moment before turning to the goblin,

"Scooter, I presume?" She said with a sigh, her anger diluting down quickly to a very mild irritation.

"Yes, Lady." After a moments pause she looked at him,

"Will _you_ answer questions?" Scooter chuckled.

"If that is Lady's wish then most certainly, but we must hurry for you haven't much time left." She looked at him, saw his wispy mop of auburn hair that looked so soft to touch, the big brown eyes with gold and green flecks set in a red-brown face. She reached out and lightly ruffled his hair so it stood up in disarray. She smiled,

"You look a little like Jareth now. For a goblin, you're pretty cute, especially when you smile."

"I'm honored Lady, shall we run?" Scooter asked, holding his hand out. Sarah took it and set off into a brisk jog with scooter keeping up easily.

"Question, Why do you guys call me 'Lady'?"

"I think that is better directed at His Majesty." Scooter didn't have a voice like velvet, it was more like wool, scratchy but warm, unlike Jareth who had a voice like a cashmere blanket.

"Okaay then how about what happened after I left?"

"That night, he retreated to his chambers and stayed there. Sometime early the next morning it began to rain. Elspeth and the girls came back about a week later, he refused to see them so they camped out in front of his door talking at him, trying to get him to come out just to watch us race the chickens. He refused.

"I was allowed to bring him his meals and anything else he desired. He never asked for anything. I did hear him mumbling about watching 'his champion', that'd be you, in a crystal. He never did though. It continued to rain and many goblins and people wondered if it would ever stop, which it did eventually but not for many months."

"I'm confused, what does the weather have to do with Jareth?"

"You see the labyrinth and the Monarch, or Monarchs should they be married, are connected when he's happy we have sun and no clouds, when he's upset, it rains, the more upset he is the worse the storm. …I've no idea what would happen should the King make love to the woman of his dreams, we might get fireworks!" Sarah coughed and blushed, obviously not expecting for Jareth's love life to be part of the conversation though her mind had begun, not for the first time that day, to stray to her multiple fantasies of them together which she had been steadily shoving into the dark recesses of her mind for the past 13 years.

"Anyway, after he finally came out he ordered a yearly celebration in honor of the girl who defeated his Labyrinth, most gather at the castle around dusk, but some hold their celebrations elsewhere, it's the only time of year Mari won't shoo goblins out of certain gardens, we have a tendency to ruin the flowers in our celebrating." Scooter grinned shamelessly making Sarah laugh. "The King also had portraits painted from sketches he had done while he was holed away in his rooms. He keeps one on his bedside table, I think so that you are the last thing he sees before he sleeps and the first thing he sees when he wakes." Sarah's breath caught painfully in her chest and her heart leapt into her throat. She stopped running and looked at Scooter,

"Really?"

"Well that's just my theory but yes. Remember how I said he often argued with himself about looking in on you?" Sarah nodded, "Well as far as I know, he only ever did look in on you once a year, on the day of the celebration. It was never for long, just long enough to see you and be sure you were happy."

"Scooter? Is there a faster way to get to the castle?"

"There are any number of shortcuts, would you like to use one?

"Hell yes."

* * *

"_Cold Iron? What a clever little pet." The woman purred as she smiled darkly at Mari. Distracted she didn't notice the small blade Alanna threw until it whizzed past her ear._

"_Tell me your name or I stop missing."_

_A sudden thought struck Elspeth she crouched down as best she could to whisper in the smiling goblin's ear. The goblin stopped smiling and nodded as she whispered, he listened intently before bursting out of the hedge and running full tilt boogie back to Alanna's house by the lake._

The goblin reached Alanna's house, woke Annette, grabbed Alanna's sword and Elspeth's violin clambered up onto Annette's back as she took off running to Alanna. The trip didn't take long and upon arrival the little windblown goblin slid down and delivered the goods to the still hiding Elspeth who promptly came out of the wall looking beyond disheveled.

"Alanna! Catch!" She called, throwing the still sheathed sword to her friend who spun, caught it, unsheathed it and pointed it at her enemy.

"Who are you?" Alanna asked again. The woman in front of her sighed, obviously bored with this whole affair.

"Tell you what, if you step aside and let me pass, I won't hurt you."

"No such luck." Elspeth said raising her violin.

"Why do you want to know my name any way?" The woman asked as she began to walk towards the girls.

"So we know what to put on your tombstone." Mari replied. The woman let out a laugh,

"Oh? You think you three will be able to kill me? Oh that's just wonderful! I've never met humans so _stupid_ as you three. I'm afraid, dear child that I won't be the one to die today. You'll be buried just like that royal family you so adore. Deep in the woods, no name, not even a Russian cross to mark where you lie." Mari's hands tightened on her bow and arrow. "You won't be buried along side your _dear_ Grandmama whom you so heartlessly abandoned all those years ago."

"I did NOT _abandon_ her! She didn't need me there staring at the graves of her lost daughter, son in law and grandson, I was a reminder of what was gone, Grandmama was better off without me! When she did call I came and I sat by her bed, I told her all about where I had been, When she asked for Mama I granted her the wish of seeing someone long since past. When she wanted to be buried alongside Mama, Papa and Dimitri I arranged it. I stayed Above for a month when she died so don't you _**dare **_tell me I _abandoned_ her. Because I did no such thing." Mari spat in the woman's face as she came close.

"But what about your friends here? Did _they_ not abandon _their _families?"

"I went back. I went back every time Máiréad called for me."

"Ah-ah-ah! One mustn't lie to a Fae, we can tell you know, there was a time when you didn't return."

"I couldn't. She's my baby sister. I couldn't watch her die, especially when she got older and I stayed the same. I've regretted that decision ever since." Alanna said, her voice hoarse as she pointed her sword at the woman's abdomen.

The woman smiled sending chills down Mari's back and raising goosebumps on her arms. "And what of dear Elspeth Hmm? She abandoned her sister and family most certainly. What is your excuse dear? That's all these are you know. Excuses."

"Who do you think took my aunt back when she Changed? Not Jareth, he didn't want anything to do with her after he had sent her back. Not that he keeps in touch with the families normally anyway. I went back every year on Charisse's birthday when she wished for me. No one else knew I was there, when she went to bed I tucked her in and told her a new story every time she wished for me. It was the most I could do."

"But you _did_ abandon your parents, your friends, your betrothed. Now, dearies, I'd rather not get blood on my new gloves so if you would step aside…"

"Not a chance." Elspeth said raising her bow to the strings and playing several harsh notes that were so off key that anyone with sensitive ears would double over in pain and faint if she kept going long enough. Then with a blinding speed the violin was yanked from Elspeth's hands and was used to hit her over the head with such a force as to knock her out for several hours and to break the violin in half.

Alanna reacted first, lurching forward to jab at the offending fae with her sword but the other woman was simply too fast and tore the sword out of Alanna's grip, throwing in Mari's direction. After dodging the flying sword Mari let her notched arrow go and notched another as the first whizzed toward it's intended target who dodged it deftly causing the arrow to lodge itself in Alanna's dominant shoulder forcing her to stagger back with the force of the blow.

Mari gasped and stared wide eyed at the blood that seeped in to Alanna's tunic. Horrified by what she had inadvertently caused, Mari dropped her bow, leaving her wide open for the dagger the came flying at her. The surprise of the small knife whizzing past her cheek forced Mari to step backward where a stone behind her heel tripped her and caused her to fall back ward onto a sharp rock which met the back of her head with a sickening **thwack**.

"The name of the one who defeated you, little human, is Veradani. Say 'Hello' to Jareth for me." Veradani said, turning to the only one still awake to hear her, Alanna, as she gave a smile that would best described as an evil Cheshire cat grin before she vanished. Unlike Jareth when Veradani vanished there was no shower of glitter, nor any trace to show she had once stood there save for footprints.

The small goblin that had delivered Alanna her sword and Elspeth her now broken violin crept towards Alanna and looked at her with sad, sweet hazel eyes. Alanna managed a small smile at the little creature who had been the one to call them back 13 years ago, on orders from Scooter of course. "Think you can help me, Ansel?"

Ansel nodded "Yesyes. Anything Lana asks of Ansel, Ansel will do."

"Alright, First, is the arrow head visible?"

"Yesyes!"

"Good, I want you to break the head off of the arrow." Ansel did just that and Alanna swore loudly at the sudden pain that lanced through her shoulder. "Now, I need you to help me get my tunic off so we can see the wound." After much wiggling and shimmying they got the tunic over her head and slid it off over the Arrow shaft.

Jareth flew away from Sarah hating to leave her but knowing if he didn't the summons would continue to eat at him until he simply _had_ to go if only for the peace and quiet of his mind. As he flew he kept an eye out for the origin of the summons. When he found it he was surprised, it was at the entrance to the gardens Sarah had left not so long ago. For a runner to have gotten so far in so little time should have been nigh impossible.

Of course there were exceptions to that rule, Elves, for example, have a keener sense of direction then humans and therefore get lost much less often. As Jareth flew closer and closer he recognized Alanna's pet, Annette. The sight of Annette filled him with a sense of foreboding he couldn't shake. He circled lower and lower and when he was about 6 feet away from the ground he metamorphosed out of his owl form and dropped the 3 inches to the ground. He saw Alanna sitting on the ground, sweating, wearing nothing but her pants and her breastcloth.

A goblin he recognized as Ansel was bunching the blue tunic up and placing it under Mari's head, which was staining the dusty brown ground red with blood that seeped through her thick brown hair. "Alanna, you're bleeding." Jareth said, officially announcing his presence.

"Yes, I know. I've sent for a healer, they should be here soon." Jareth scowled at her back before sighing and shaking his head as he removed his shirt of off white silk. Crossing the short distance between them he spoke again,

"Let me help," He crouched behind her and gestured for Ansel to return, "Ansel, I need you to push on the feathered end of the arrow while I pull from this end, Alright?" At the goblins vigorous nod he counted and on three they forced the arrow to slide through. Alanna remained silent until the fletching of the arrow was being pulled through the other end which is when she screamed and dug her nails into her palm making the half moon cuts in the calloused skin bleed.

Jareth discarded the arrow and picked up his shirt and very carefully slid it over her injured arm first before letting her pull her other arm through the opposite sleeve and dropping it over her dark head.

"No lady should be bare in public, especially when she's injured." Alanna smiled at him over her uninjured shoulder,

"Yeah, sure. You just did that so when you saw Sarah next you'd have an excuse to be shirtless in front of her." Jareth smirked in return.

"Perhaps."

"You should poof back to her. Veradani said to say hello after she whooped our rears."

"How did you get one of Nightingale's arrows in your shoulder?"

"_Mari_," Alanna smiled good-naturedly, "is not as good a shot as she thinks she is." There was a groan by the entrance to the gardens,

"She said she was a decent shot, not a perfect one. Ow." They turned to see Elspeth who had managed to sit up with the help of a couple who lived in the garden behind them, Jareth knew that had Sarah been there she would have noticed, and mentioned, the striking resemblance to Amelia Earhart and Glenn Miller.

"Elspeth," Jareth chided, "you shouldn't be sitting up."

"I'll be fine." She said waving his advice away before touching the back of her head gingerly. "Owwww, She hit me with my own violin, ow. What happened you and Mari?"

"Mari shot me."

"Right, you sort of said that didn't you?"

"Jareth, are you going to poof back to Sarah or just sand here giving us disapproving looks?" Alanna asked, feeling mildly uncomfortable in his shirt with him standing over her.

"Oh, I think I'd _much_ rather him continue to grace us with his half naked presence." Jareth graced Elspeth's comment with a laugh she hadn't heard in 13 years.

"I'll stay until the healer arrives." He told them and no sooner then the words were out of his mouth then a new voice spoke,

"The healer, that would be me, **has** arrived." four heads, two human, one goblin and one Fae, swiveled in the elven healer's direction.

"What took you so long?" Alanna snapped, her remark was met with healer Talia's hands on her hips and a 'you should know better' scowl causing the girl to shrink into her self like a child who had just been reprimanded.

"She gets cranky when she hurts." Elspeth explained with the best smile she could muster.

"Yes, I know. Alright, what happened? Sparring practice again?" Healer Talia asked as she knelt to examine Mari first.

"I wish. No, we ran into one very nasty fae lady."

"When you say 'ran into' you mean more like she tried to kill you?" Healer Talia asked with a raised eyebrow. "Bit of an understatement, don't you think?" Talia made a sympathetic hissing sound and clicked her tounge, "Oh Mari, dear child you've whacked your head pretty good haven't you? Poor dear."

"Will she survive?" Jareth asked removing his bloodied gloves and purposefully raining glitter into Alanna's easy-to-tangle tresses.

"Oh, Yes, I should think so! She'll need stitches and will be confined to bed for a time but yes, she'll most certainly be alright." Talia said tucking a lock of her platinum blonde hair back into the bun it had strayed from as Ansel came over to help. She handed him a gauze pad and a roll of bandages to replace Alanna's tunic with.

When Mari's head wound was wrapped in gauze Talia moved over to examine Alanna who, she had noticed, was favoring her sword arm. Alanna hissed in pain as Talia poked around the wound. "Does Mari fletch her arrows with ground-dwelling bird feathers?" She asked as she pulled a feather from the wound.

"Quail." Alanna's clipped reply came as her scalp began to itch.

"Hmph. Next time, do not push the arrow out so the feathers go through the wound. Pull with the feathered end toward you, it's less likely to get infected that way."

"I did it the other way, Healer Talia, so as to not get Splinters in the wound." Jareth and the healer engaged in a staring match for a few moments before she gave up and sighed.

"Very well, I'll wash it extensively then. Now, Jareth, don't you have a lady friend you should be getting back to?" Talia inquired, her hidden message obvious to him. It said 'get your fluffy white tail back to Sarah and leave us be, before I decide you need a crash course in beginner's emergency medicine.' "I'll summon you if we need you, not to worry."

"Very well, I leave them in your capable hands Healer Talia."

"Your majesty." Talia said inclining her head as he transformed back into an owl and flew off to rejoin Sarah.

"There now, you can relax Alanna."

"Will You Stop **POKING ME**?" Alanna's irritation at being in pain shone through like a rainbow, one Talia ignored wholly. Talia had known Alanna for a long time, the girl was always coming to the elf for treatment when the target practice went wrong, which, when Alanna had first stared with the sword, was every few hours.

* * *

"Can you explain the weird powers Alanna, Elspeth and Mari all have?" Sarah asked as Scooter led her through yet another garden. They had passed several already and she was sad that she didn't have the time to properly admire them all.

"Oh easily! Lets see, who is the simplest? Alanna probably." He said, answering his own question. "You see their powers, as you aptly described them, all have to do with wishes they had each made sometime in their lifetimes. Alanna had wished, likely on more then one occasion that Annette was big enough to ride, like a horse, it was unlikely she expected Annette to actually grow to accommodate the wish, but she did. You see Alanna's people had to walk every where, the little ones were able to ride in the carts and they were able to create horse drawn carriages for very long trips, but the work put into the carriages was so extensive that if it was a relatively short trip, they walked. The horses were used mainly to carry the old, the sick and the invalid along with belongings when they needed to move a short distance as a village."

"Oh! I see. That's clever actually. But what about the lake?"

"Ah, the lake, now that is complicated and an answer the labyrinth has refused to tell us. I **can** however tell you how it works. The lake, in it's unaltered form, is strongly acidic and so until Alanna took charge of it, it was avoided but as long as Alanna is there with a single touch she can transform the lake from acid to clear, fresh, spring water. She is the only one in the entire labyrinth to be immune to the lake's acid. Except the weeping willows around it of course, where the leaves touch the water a spot about the size of a um, a um…" Scooter gestured with his hands and Sarah supplied the word he was missing.

"A softball!"

"Well, yes I suppose so, it wasn't the one I was looking for but, it will do, anyway, about the size of a softball; now this spot will be thicker and pale green in color. When applied to a wound acquired from the lake it acts as a salve, or an ointment. The damaged skin will peel off and a new, undamaged layer becomes the top layer of skin. Pretty cool huh? Back to the acid to water changing, the more she tries to change to either water or acid the greater the delay, for instance if she's changing just enough to fill a jug the delay is minimal but if she changes the whole lake it takes a few moments."

"Long enough for someone to dive in and make it almost half way across the lake?" Sarah asked. Scooter was silent as he thought about it.

"Well, the person diving in would make a splash which would attract her attention and she would immediately start changing it so the lake would be water by the time the person was about two-thirds of the way to the middle of the lake. So, yes."

"Ouch."

"Ouch is right. Why did you ask?"

"Mari stopped me by doing that."

"Ah, Now on to Mari since you brought her up. Her family died when she was eleven and she moved in with her grandmother. Now between then and the time she came here she wished quite often to be someone she wasn't. So after spending about 25 years here she got her wish, the next time she saw someone and wished that she could be them instead of her she began to change into an almost perfect twin of that person. Now, there are limits to this. She can't change her eye color, they're always blue, no matter what, and if she changes into a real person she can't age any older then that person is at that moment. She can go younger but never older, except with herself. When altering her own image she can go older then her actual age, not that she ever does.

Also, no matter who she becomes if she's sick, she's sick. She can't change that. Like say she has consumption (Known to us as TB or tuberculosis) then who ever she becomes will have consumption. But if it the other way around like she's healthy and changing into a sick person then she stays healthy. She also can't tap into someone else's mind when she looks like them. The transformation is basically skin deep, she looks like them and she sounds like them but she doesn't walk like them or have a funny way of batting her eyelashes like them. She can however teach herself how to do these things if she can watch the person doing them."

"Wow, that's a lot of limitations…"

"For her, it was worth it. It was worth the pain of having every bone in her body rearrange just to pretend she was someone else for a few hours. The effect wears off if she goes to sleep or is unconscious."

"Yikes, every bone rearranges? That has got to hurt."

"I imagine it does. Now Elspeth is immune to every poison known to the Underground. She has an antidote for every poison to which she is immune."

"What about poisons you discover?"

"As soon as they are discovered they become known and she is immune to it. We have yet to find a poison to which she doesn't have instant immunity."

"That's useful. Why did she get that power?"

"She wished to be out of the way but still useful. She also wanted as little reason as possible to go anywhere near the Junk Lady, the aunt that hated her."

"Yeah, she mentioned that." Sarah said before looking down at her watch, she had two hours left. "Will we make it in two hours Scooter?"

"We might." There was a sudden flutter of wings and then a familiar shadow loomed beside Sarah's own. She felt a smile spring unbidden to her lips.

"Hello, Jareth."

"Were you two talking about me?"

"Not for a while now. But I have a question for you."

"Well do ask it Precious."

"If I were to wish for you to give me back the two hours you took from me in the tunnels last time, could you?" Jareth's smile fell.

"Sadly not Princess. I can only return time taken from this current run, there are no loopholes I can exploit to grant that wish Sarah. However, if you were to wish for me to whisk you away to my castle myself, I could very much do that." Sarah snorted and turned to look at him,

"In your dreams, Goblin King. …You're shirtless."

"How kind of you to notice. Sarah, Precious, You're blushing." Sarah raised a hand to her nose and pulled it away.

"No I'm not…" Scooter hid a grin behind his hand.

"Blushing Sarah, not bleeding." Jareth purred as he stroked her cheek with his bare fingers, "and such a lovely color it is on you too." He leaned close to her ear "And as for my dreams, frequently and so much more…" Sarah cleared her throat and regained her composure.

"Let's go Scooter, I've no time to waste."

"As you wish Lady."

"Jareth, if you're going to tag along, you might as well answer my questions."

"Very well Sarah, ask away."

"Why do people, and that includes goblins, call me 'Lady' or 'Your Majesty'?"

"Blunt as ever aren't you?" Sarah grinned and batted her eyelashes in a coquettish manner that was so over the top it was funny.

"Very well Sarah, 13 years ago you solved the labyrinth and won back Toby, in doing so you became Queen applicant by the right of your victory. Therefore the goblins and pixies will have a tendency to call you 'Lady', as most of them don't have a particularly expansive vocabulary in English, and the humans, elves, and other people will have a penchant for referring to you as Your Majesty." He said it so easily, so casually that Sarah almost didn't think twice about it, almost.

"Wait, what? I'm _royalty_?" She sqeeked.

"Well strictly speaking, not yet. You have to accept the job first Lady Sarah." Scooter clarified.

"But if I accepted, and that's a big if,"

"But it's still an if." Jareth said quietly.

"Then what would happen to my life above? My dad and Karen, and toby, what about my job? All the kids up there with problems… What about them?"

"There are several options, as Queen or Queen to-be, 1. you could remain here permanently only going above when summoned, or 2. you could live here and visit Above, like I do, when and as you please. 3. You could live there and spend time here, or 4. you could live here and wipe the memories of people Above, and become a ghost to them, a dream."

"If I may, Lady Sarah, I wouldn't go with the last one, it always ends in tears." Scooter offered.

"Yes, I quite imagine so. Honestly out of the choices I like the seconed the best. But we're getting ahead of ourselves here, first I need to find Toby. Next question, Jareth, _why_ are you shirtless?"

"The girls ran into a bit of an altercation if you recall, needless to say, it could have gone better. Nightingale wound up with a head wound so Alanna used her own tunic as a bandage so I gave her mine." Sarah fought to keep the jealousy that bristled within her at bay.

"Oh?"

"Sarah, if you must know she wasn't entirely comfortable with it she would have much rathered sit there in her bra then borrow my shirt." He leaned close to her ear "A little jealousy is good in a relationship, it lets me know you're afraid to lose me."

"I am not jealous!" she said, her voice rising at least an octave.

"Oh, really?" he asked, hands on his hips, head cocked to the side, "then why did your voice go up a full eight notes?"

"I'll not justify that with an answer." Jareth laughed, she was reminded of how she loved his laugh, his smile, his dancing eyes, his feathery blonde hair. Sarah stopped herself before she got too carried away. Sarah looked at her watch and almost accused Jareth of stealing time from her again but didn't and instead wondered if it would be so bad if she lost. She was already Queen applicant by the right of her victory, and it was obvious Jareth wasn't all bad, and she couldn't deny that at least some part of her liked him and maybe that same part had kind of missed the Underground.

She knew Toby had, somehow he still had dreams about it. Nothing specific of course, he'd only been a year old but sometimes he'd dream of a place called the underground, ruled by a fae king Named Jareth, sometimes it even had a labyrinth, he'd told her. At first she had worried about the dreams but when they didn't seem to do any harm she relaxed and watched them fuel his own fantasy world.

She had discovered in collage that she had similar dreams to Toby's though vastly more grown up and they were triggered by the smell of peaches. She'd stopped eating peaches shortly after her trip through the Labyrinth and had ever since eyed them with disdain but they had once been her favorite fruit and she did miss them sometimes, but she couldn't bring herself to try one.

She shook her head, forcing those thoughts to the corners of her mind. Of course it would be bad if she lost. She had a life above! She helped kids in need and on the weekends that her roommate from collage, Tessa, was in town she modeled for her. Tessa was a fashion designer and was always looking for someone to try her newest design on and Sarah was the one who got roped into most often, not that she minded, she thought it was fun. She glanced back at her watch, they had walked in silence for a half hour while she thought. Sarah looked up to see if she could at least see the city, she couldn't. Biting her lip Sarah stared long and hard at her watch fighting an inner debate. 15 minutes past and she looked up at Jareth who asked,

"Which side won?"

"Yours." Sarah took a deep breath, stepped in front of Jareth and looked resolutely into his blue eyes.

"Jareth, I wish you would take me to your castle beyond the goblin city."

"…_I wish you would take me to your castle beyond the goblin city."_ The words rang in his mind, taking him by surprise. She'd said it. He hadn't expected that. A slow smile crept across his face and he took her hands in his.

"As you wish."


	9. Chapter 8: Sizzle

**Sizzle**

Jareth pulled Sarah gently to him, wrapping her arms around his waist and his around her shoulders. Her ear rested on his shoulder and her forehead and nose against his neck. He could feel her eyelashes every time she blinked and she could feel and hear his pulse race just from holding her. He touched his nose to her hair, inhaling it's scent of strawberries and cinnamon as a swirling column of dust and glitter, though it was mostly glitter, rose up around them, it teased at his hair and lifted the dark tendrils that had escaped from Sarah's bun before it twisted itself into a sphere around them and then it rushed at them like a dying star collapsing in on itself. There was an audible 'pop' as the pair disappeared and the dust and glitter exploded like a firework. After they were gone Scooter muttered to himself,

"Good god, if that's what happens when he embraces her I'm almost afraid to see what would happen if they _did_ wind up in his bed together."

Sarah smiled into Jareth's shoulder, "Are you always this dramatic?"

"No, Precious. Not quite." When they landed in the castle in a shower of glitter that got positively **everywhere**, (and I do mean everywhere) as much as he would have liked nothing better then to just stand there, holding her warm body in his arms, he refused to lose her this time so he carefully extracted himself from her embrace. "I'll be waiting for you in young Tobias's room, hurry, Sarah, Hurry." He bowed and kissed her hand before vanishing, leaving behind only glitter and a single wing feather, which she picked up, admired and placed into her bun carefully. She looked around and recognized the suspiciously silent goblin filled room as Jareth's throne room. All of a sudden, chaos broke out. There were shouts, cheers and goblins jumping on her.

"Whoa-Hey! Watch-Ow! Yipes! WOULD EVERYBODY PLEASE JUST _**CALM DOWN**_?" She bellowed, and miraculously they all shut up. "Thank you. Geez. Look, I am Out of Time. I need to know which way to get to the bedrooms, specifically Toby's if anyone knows. And just as she thought they weren't going to help her several grubby little goblin hands swung towards the archway Sarah hadn't gone through last time. "Great, Thanks. Remind me to have Jareth reward you all later. Party on." She said as she raced through the door beating the party eruption by mere moments. She climbed up the stairs, taking them three at a time, joy of long legs.

When she reached the top of the stairs she faced a room very much like the Escher room only, instead of stairs it was doors. Not to say there weren't any stairs, there were several, but they all led up to doors. Cursing under her breath Sarah quickly examined the doors from where she stood, the all looked different but none stood out in any particular way. Narrowing her eyes at them she gave a tentative "Open Sesame?" And nothing happened, not that she had expected anything _to_ happen though it would have been nice. Stubbornly she stood there and told the doors, "I am NOT going to waste what little time I have left by trying you all so either you tell me which door I need or I call in reinforcements. SO, what's it going to be?" And by reinforcements she meant the goblins, For a long moment nothing happened and just as made her mind up to call for goblin assistance she heard a familiar yell and a familiar, muffled response. 'Gotcha' and with that triumphant thought she bounded up a set of stairs which of course twisted so that when she reached the top she was defying gravity. There came a muffled 'Hello Your Majesty.'

"Hi, look Mute, I don't have time so if you or Deafy over here is going to waste my time, when I make it through, and believe me I will, I will have Jareth relocate you. No more cushy castle gig or even labyrinth gig, oh no, I will have him stick you somewhere worse then the bog and the lake combined. Got it?"

"Huh?" The knocker with the ring in his ears yelled "I didn't hear any of that! That's the problem with you kids. No one speaks clearly anymore it's all mumble, mumble, mumble! It's a wonder anyone understands anyone!" The mute knocker spoke around his ring.

"Just Knock and the Door shall open." Sarah nodded and knocked on both doors. They gave her a look that said 'cheater' and in return she gave awry smile.

"No one ever said I couldn't knock on both." As both swung open Sarah recognized the Firey forest from her last visit and promptly chose the deaf knocker who had opened onto a room. Which was on fire. As she stepped through she saw the fireys throwing their heads around and dancing, if you could call what they did _dancing_.

"Hey guys! Long time no see! I see you've set the doors on fire, really useful guys. Thanks for that." She said, her voice more then a touch sarcastic as she barreled through them. Reaching for a flaming door she recoiled when it gave off heat. She hurtled on to the next, and the next and when those two both gave off heat she reached for the feather in her hair. With it she poked the doorknob, when the feather tip caught fire she quickly blew it out and repeated the process with the next door and then she turned to the last door and poked it with the feather, when nothing happened she grabbed hold and twisted, throwing herself at the door, or through it really when it swung wide open.

She ran past the wise guy with the bird hat with a mind of it's own blowing up balloons, she grabbed one as she ran through the open door thinking she might need it later. She skidded to a halt when she saw the guard to the city who started his 'Who goes there' speech but stopped abruptly when he realized it was Sarah, champion of the Labyrinth, and woman on a mission standing before him. He causally reached behind him and opened the door.

"You may pass." He said and she ran around him shouting her thanks over her shoulder. With a start she realized that the song Jareth had sung on her first trip round the crystal ballroom was stuck in her head and that she could almost hear Toby's conversation with the goblins in his room.

She ran through the empty room and shrieked her surprise when the floor fell out from under her. She was deposited promptly into the hands of, well, the Helping Hands. She would have laughed at seeing the hands decked out in party gear but was frankly, too out of breath. "Down!" she panted and they gently lowered her to her oubliette all the while talking of how happy they were Mistress Sarah had returned to the Labyrinth. Once on her feet she wasted no time, she found the door opened it, closed it while kicking a bucket out of the way before opening it from the other side. "Stupid Broom closet." She muttered. She ran past the Easter Island false alarms that sang their false alarms as she rocketed past with speed she was unaware she had.

"So, You're the little human are you?" A cool voice spoke behind her. Sarah turned to look,

"Sorry, lady I so don't have the time right now." Veradani appeared in front of her this time as Sarah turned back to the tunnel ahead of her.

"Make the time _Princess Sarah._" Sarah could practically see the disdain dripping from those two words.

"I'm not your princess and I have to get to my brother, so If you'll excuse me." Sarah said, her patience worn thin already from all the running.

"I think not. There's something I want and _you_ are going to help me get it."

"No, I'm not. Now move before I do something drastic." Sarah discovered she hated Veradani's laugh, it was all slime and no honey, "I warned you." Sarah said pulling a sharp needle from her hair and throwing it as Veradani closed her eyes, that oily laugh turned into a pained scream and Sarah raced past. "Jareth! I could use a little help!" in a flash Jareth was at her side and poofing her to safety.

"Keep her out of trouble." He ordered and Sarah looked around surprised to see familiar faces. Before she could breathe a word Jareth poofed back to deal with Veradani who's eye was sizzling nastily. Sarah was lucky that the girls had given her weapons incase of Fae attack, if they hadn't he shuddered to think what might have happened. Jareth grabbed hold of Veradani's wrists, pinning them behind her back and poofing back to the lake he conjured up a pair of magic dampening, cold iron hand cuffs Alanna kept for just such purposes. He threw her to the mass of partying Goblins,

"She threatened your Queen, do what you will." The Goblins grinned a devilish smile and attached her to a rope and pulley system in place over a nearby fire pit that had an active fire going. He poofed himself back to Toby's room where he found Sarah, collapsed on the bed, breathing heavily.

"Jareth, if you ever make me through that again, I will kill you." She panted just before the clock struck thirteen.

"Next time, don't wish Toby away."

"I was asleep! I- oh forget it." She wasn't going to win this argument and she knew it. With a twinge of sadness she heard Jareth's song end and instead of cycling back to the start like it had been, it faded away. She lay there in silence for a few minutes before sitting up, "Hey, Jareth?"

"What is it precious?"

"About this whole Queen thing? Can I live here for a week and then above for a week and alternate until I figure out what I want to do?"

"I'd be delighted precious. And I'm sure all your friends would enjoy that very much as well."

"We sure as hell would!" Hoggle said

"Sawah, stay?"

"Yes Ludo, my brother, the Lady is staying!" Sir Didymus announced, accompanied by much tail wagging from his noble steed, Ambrosious.

Sarah smiled and closed her eyes and fell quite fast asleep beside Toby who held her hand in his.

"Jareth, she's asleep…" Toby said quietly, so as not to wake her.

"So she is. I'd best take you both home then, if I may?"

"It's probably a better idea then her waking up here. Take us home." Jareth nodded and scooped Sarah into his arms and with Toby clinging to his shoulder he glitter poofed back into Sarah's small but cozy house. Toby shook his head to get most of the glitter out of his hair and then stifled a laugh at the kitchen floor. "Sarah's gonna kill you when she wakes up." In a childish 'oooh, someone's in trou-ble~!' tone of voice.

Jareth rolled his eyes, "Go to bed Toby." And Toby began to walk off laughing quietly.

"Her room is across the hall from mine Jareth go ahead and go in, and if you want to stay, the place she's the least likely to freak out if she finds you, is the couch. Night, Goblin King. See you later. This is gonna be good." Jareth smiled and followed Toby to the hall where he turned right instead of left and found himself in Sarah's bedroom. He carefully placed Sarah in bed and pulled the covers over her. He kissed her temple and prepared to depart when her magnificent green eyes opened a little and she caught hold of his hand,

"Stay…" She whispered, his heart melted at the request and he nodded,

"Very well." She smiled and closed her eyes again falling back asleep. Jareth pulled a blanket from her closet and placing it in her top drawer he turned himself into his owl form and snuggled down into the blanket which he the wrapped around himself making clever use of his beak.

It wasn't until 7 'o clock that night that Sarah and Toby woke up again and it was Sarah's immediate reaction to having an owl in her bedroom that woke Jareth. When Sarah woke she first wondered if it had all been a dream but as she woke further she realized she wasn't wearing her pajamas, no, she was wearing velvet shoes and a dress, and through some miracle her hair was still mostly in a bun.

She sat up and finally looked towards her dresser. She saw the sleeping owl in her underwear drawer and looked on but as what she had seen sunk in she turned her head back to the owl in her drawer and screamed. The owl woke up, amber eyes snapping open, instantly alert and focused on Sarah who then put her hand over her eyes and with a groan dropped back against her pillow. Seconds later Toby, his hair all rumpled from sleep ran into the room.

"What? What is it? What happened?"

"There's an owl in my underwear drawer."

"Huh?" Toby said. Sarah pointed to the owl in her underwear drawer. "Oh. Hi, Jareth. I figured you were going to take the couch." The owl shrugged and with the blanket trailing behind him like a cape he flew out of the drawer and reverted back to his non-feathered form.

"She asked me to stay." He replied, rearranging the blanket draped over his muscled body just before two goblins burst through Sarah's door.

"Kingy and boss Lady in trouble!"

"Goblins rescue!"

"Stop!" Jareth Commanded and the two goblins, Irving and Georgia, froze in mid action looking up at him.

"Jareth why are there Goblins in my house?"

"They think of you as their Queen, Sarah, is it so surprising they'd have taken up lodgings in your home?"

"Specifically my closet." Toby piped up. "I told them that you wouldn't like having them in yours so I built them a nest in mine. They like socks, but only the left ones…"

"How long have they been here?"

"I discovered them the week I stayed with you after you moved in." Toby said after a moment's thought.

"Six years? They've been here for 6 years and I didn't notice? How is that possible?" Sarah cried looking at the goblins who now grinned shamelessly at her.

"Hello Boss Lady!" Georgia said with a grin. Sarah Groaned.

"All right all of you out of my bedroom." When they didn't move Sarah sat up and looked at them all, "OUT!" She demanded pointing to her door. "All of you! Move it! Andale, andale, andale." She said as she stood and herded everyone out the door. "Toby, go get dressed. You too Goblin King." She said before shutting and locking her door. "Whew."

"I _told_ you she'd freak out." Toby said in the unmistakeable tone of I told you so.

"Toby, stop behaving like a 4 year old." Sarah's voice came from behind the door and Toby's features moved into a 'busted!' expression. Jareth glitter poofed back to his room and started humming.

No goblin dared disturb his good mood by mentioning Veradani, they had cooked her to the point of almost death when the Weeping Willows had taken over the job. They waited till she woke and then they hung her from their vines so she strangled while she was dissolved by the acid in the lake. The goblins danced, haphazardly, to her choking noises as she tried to scream. Those selfsame goblins decided Not to tell their King until later when he was no longer on Cloud 9.

After Jareth had dressed he called for his favorite maid, Clio. Clio brought her human daughter, Tabatha, a charming two year old with red gold curls, along.

"You called sire?" Clio smiled as he swooped down to pick up Tabatha.

"Yes Clio, The Lady Sarah will be visiting every other week so I'd like you and Darling Tabatha to ready the Queen's chambers for her." Jareth cradled the giggling baby in his arms, bouncing her as he rocked side to side while making faces at her.

"Oh sire! That's Wonderful news! Absolutely wonderful! I'll go start on that right away!" She said, practically hopping up and down as she made her way across the room to the door that joined the King's chambers to the as of yet unused Queen's chambers. As soon as Clio was out of her sight Tabatha began to squirm and whimper. Smiling, Jareth set the girl down and watched as she toddled off to her mother. Jareth walked over to his nightstand where a small portrait of Sarah stood. He picked up a small rock, a geode that had been converted into a ring box, and he opened it.

"You going to give that to your young miss?" A voice floated in from the windowsill. Jareth turned and saw a tall, slim girl with long white blonde hair tossed over her shoulder.

"Not just yet, Indirianna. I'm going to court her before I marry her. Assuming she'd even accept."

"She will. I was watching her with Scooter, He told her what happened when she left, and about that portrait you've kept on your nightstand since she was 22. When you showed up again it looked like it was all she could do not to snog you within an inch of your unmistakably long life."

Jareth didn't say anything, choosing instead to simply pull a black leather bound book out of his nightstand drawer. Flipping past his sketches of Sarah from over the years, he stopped on a sketch of a pendant to match his. It was tradition that every king, or queen, design a pendant to match their own for their spouse, assuming they married. The pendant he wore was not just a piece of jewelry, it was his emblem of office, it marked him as King. When he took it off it meant that he was no longer acting as king but as a man. When there was another pendant around someone else's neck it served the same purpose as a wedding ring did Aboveground. Placing the book on his bed he scrawled a quick note to Clio, asking her to take the page to the Blacksmith to start work on it.

Before he poofed back to Sarah's house he walked over to his windowsill and gave the blonde a brotherly kiss on the cheek and unceremoniously pushed her out the window. He grinned and poofed away before his little sister could throw her shoe at him.

Landing on Sarah's front porch he discovered a young woman about Sarah's age holding a large box balanced on her head. "Allow me to help you with that." He said smoothly, startling the raven-haired woman who spun around and found herself staring at Jareth's chest. Jareth took the box off of the petite woman's head and watched her pale blue eyes find their way to his face. "Hello."

"Hi." She squeaked and gawped at him. "Good god, you're gorgeous. Do you model? Oh please say you do!" She said and spun quickly around as the door opened behind her.

"Tessa! Jareth! Hi, why are you both standing on my front porch at 7:30 at night?"

"Would you have rathered I fly in through your window?" Jareth asked with a smirk.

"I was in the neighborhood and I decided since I have all these new clothes that you could model them for me." Tessa said, gesturing as she ignored or possibly didn't hear Jareth's comment.

"Well, come in. Don't just stand there." Sarah said waving them in. Sarah smiled when Tessa mouthed _'Gorgeous'_ at her while she walked in the door. Sarah narrowed her eyes at Jareth and whispered "Behave." Jareth leaned down and gave her swift kiss behind Tessa's back.

"Trade you." He whispered back, offering to give her the box and he would shut the door. Sarah fought back the smile that rose to her lips.

"Not a chance Goblin King." She said before closing the front door, very aware of Tessa's eyes on them.

"Sarah, aren't you going to introduce me to your hunk?" The petite woman whined with a sly smile.

"Tessa, this is Jareth, Jareth this is Tessa, we were roommates in collage. She swings by every time she's in town to bully me into modeling for her."

"Nice to meet you, So! How long have you known Sarah?" Tessa asked with a coy smile.

"Thirteen years." The pair said in unison. Sarah blushed and muttered something about finding Toby.

"So, _do_ you model?" Jareth shrugged and leaned against the hallway door jam all Kingly stance,

"If they're good enough to warrant modeling." Tessa grinned widely,

"Oh I think I'm going to like you! So how long have you and Sarah been Dating?"

"About 13 hours."

"13 again huh?" Tessa said, absent mindedly as she began to notice conspicuous amounts of glitter everywhere. "Good god, I wonder what happened here… Did Sarah throw a party or something?"

"No, that's just Jareth, He _**sheds**_ glitter." Toby said as he walked in the room with Sarah following close behind.

Sarah promptly grabbed Tessa and they got to work setting up Sarah's dressing room, catwalk, and music. Toby took pictures to commemorate the occasion, taking an extra for Jareth whenever he tapped the boy's shoulder. Two hours later when Tessa was packing up to go home Jareth cornered her and mentioned that he was planning on taking Sarah out to dinner. Tessa interrupted him,

"She's my best friend, and this is your first date, I've got just the dress." Looking around for Sarah the girl pulled out a lovely dress of green and gold. Handing it to Jareth her eyes flashed dangerously, "Don't you dare break her heart, you hear me? If you do, so help me I will murder you and hide your body in the woods."

"Understood." Jareth said as she pressed the dress into his arms.

Tessa Grinned brightly and stood up shifting the box to lean on her hip. "So long, Sugar! See you in a few weeks!" She called as she let herself out. Sarah poked her head out of the makeshift dressing room.

"Tess? Tessa! Tessa wait!" She called as she ran out after her friend. Jareth looked at Toby after Sarah left,

"Are they always like this?"

"No, this was mild. Usually, there's movies and pizza and once one of Sarah's neighbor's called the cops because the music was so loud and it was 2 am." Toby explained with a nostalgic look on his face.

"I was hoping to take Sarah out to dinner, would you like to accompany us or would you rather stay with the goblins who will, no doubt, flood the place once Sarah and I have gone." Toby thought about it.

"Lets see, chaperone my sister and the Goblin King or babysit a horde of goblins… I'm going with you dude. This way when the goblins make a mess of the house I won't be to blame for not keeping them in line." Toby said evilly.

"What's this I hear about a date?" Sarah asked. After no small amount of begging and pleading done by Toby, Sarah finally gave into to what she dared not say sounded like a fun idea. "Let me guess, you want me to wear that? Alright Jareth, you win this time." Sarah said as she took the dress from Jareth's arm and locked herself in the bathroom where as she changed she began to hum quietly. Jareth's keen ears picked up what Toby's were not and Toby stared at him as Jareth's head snapped towards the bathroom.

"There's such a sad love, deep in your eyes, a kind of pale jewel, open and closed, within your eyes, I'll place the sky within your eyes…" He sang quietly, so quietly Toby almost couldn't hear and he was sitting next to Jareth.

"What're you singing?" Toby whispered getting the feeling that Jareth had rather Sarah not know he was singing.

"You know the story of the girl who ate the enchanted peach and forgot everything but still made it to the castle to rescue the baby?" At Toby's nod Jareth continued, "What the girl didn't know was that the song sung as she danced with the King of the Goblins was not a mortal's song, it was his. He wrote it for her in that moment. She is humming it now."

"I don't hear anything…"

"Listen, Toby. Listen for it." Jareth whispered and watched as light dawned on the 14 year-old's face.

"She hums that all the time! You wrote it?" Jareth said nothing as he heard the door open and saw Sarah poke her head around the door jam. Jareth stood instantly and Sarah very slowly crept out. Toby looked from his sister to Jareth and back again. "Damn." When Sarah said nothing about watching his mouth his blue eyes widened. "Seriously, Damn. Looks like I'm staying here."

Jareth walked over to Sarah, drinking in the very sight of her. When he reached her they stood there staring at each other for several long moments. Jareth reached up and trailed his bare fingers over her cheek before taking the iron senbon needle from her hair and watching it tumble down around her shoulders.

"Not that you haven't looked quite lovely with it up Precious, But I much prefer you with your hair down." Sarah stared at him breathlessly for a few moments before she became away of a burning noise.

"Jareth, You're sizzling!" Sarah cried as she looked down to his hand, which was still holding iron between his thumb and forefinger and was indeed sizzling. Sarah hastily took the iron away from him, tossing it in her bathroom drawer. "Are you okay?" She asked taking his hand in hers and examining it. "Not too bad." She said and kissed his finger. Never noticing Toby move she kissed Jareth's thumb and then heard the click of a picture being taken. Her head jerked to see her brother holding the camera and wearing a wicked grin.

"Perfect!" he shouted in glee.

"Tobias Jonathan Williams, you give me that camera right now, or so help me I will find those baby pictures of you and put them in next year's year book."

"Oh-ho! Two can play at that game Sarah Jennifer Williams! Bobby has a big, huge, hairy, Tarantula that he said I can borrow." Jareth saw Sarah give a shudder of disgust and heard her mutter a curse on all spiders. Sarah glanced at the clock in the hall and sighed

"Jareth, it's almost 10, do you want to just get some pizza and bring it back? We can watch a movie and I'll let you take me out another day. And for some reason I feel like I've been on a 12 hour flight all day."

"I'll tell you why on the way, Precious." He said and as she left to get shoes and a sweater Jareth leaned over Toby's shoulder, "Would you care to show me that picture?" Toby grinned and pushing a button showed Jareth a lovely photo of Sarah in her spaghetti strapped dress of green velvet with a slim gold belt around her waist and Jareth in his most human slacks of black silk and his favourite billowy sleeved shirt of white. "How does one get a copy of this?"

"I'll have it for you when you get back with the pizza."

"Stop plotting against me you two." Sarah said from behind them making Toby jump about three feet, at least that's what it felt like.

"We weren't conspiring Sarah!" Toby said in mock defense.

"Uh-huh, suuure. What ever you say kiddo." Sarah said with an eye roll. "C'mon Goblin King, lets go get some grub." He offered her his arm and was pleasantly surprised when she took it. They walked out the front door and started down the street.

"The reason you feel so tired, despite sleeping the day away, Precious, is because of the difference between above ground hours and Under ground hours. You have 24 hours to a day, we have 26 and you just spent 13 of those hours running around looking for Toby. It's no wonder you're exhausted." Sarah let out a small "Oh." And they both fell silent as they walked, as they neared their second block passed Sarah realized that she was leaning into Jareth's arm, comforted and distracted by his warmth. She pulled away and took a sharp left turn, entering her favourite pizza place.

Minutes later she walked back out and pulled Jareth in front of a warm window where they could see their pizzas being made. 30 minutes later they were on their way again, Sarah insisted upon carrying the pizzas, not because she wanted to snuggle up to Jareth as they walked, she told her self, no. She just really wanted to carry the pizzas. Not long later the three of them were settled on Sarah's couch with a movie she and Toby adored playing.

'What's up Doc?' was its name and Jareth found that while he had enjoyed it he enjoyed having Sarah asleep on his lap much more. She had started off on his shoulder but as she wriggled she wound up with her head resting comfortably in his lap. She was beautiful when she stopped pretending or worrying and simply relaxed.

Having no power over Sarah he could not take her to her room with out being invited or told to, and since both siblings were fast asleep, it wasn't going to happen. Toby on the other hand was a completely different matter. Toby he could just lob a crystal at and have the boy tucked in, nice and cozy, in his own bed. And he did just that. Sarah on the other hand he stretched out on the couch and from the hall closet he pulled two blankets and a pillow. Wrapping her up with gentle care he was careful not to jostle or wake her. When he was done and she was warm he traced his fingers over her cheek and with his usual cloud of glitter he was back to his castle.

"You really love her, don't you big brother?" His sister's voice asked as he entered his bedchambers and found her staring, transfixed at a scrying crystal.

"Yes, Indi, I do." Indirianna, clearly not expecting Jareth to return so soon gave a startled yelp and in her haste to turn around, fell right off the bed. "and before you tell me to get on with it and marry the girl, let me ask you what you saw."

"I saw a girl very much in love with you but very much in denial about said love. The boy likes you but the girl doesn't trust you and when she finds herself wanting to trust and know you she distances herself. Once she does trust you though you ought to watch out, she's just as good at threats and teasing as you are."

"Precisely why I won't ask her to marry me just yet. She refused me once, she'll do it again if I push too hard. Are you saying I've met my match little sister?" He smirked as she writhed under the question before pouncing on an idea.

"You should take her on a tour of the kingdom tomorrow. I'll chaperone!" She suggested as she hopped back up on his bed. Jareth smirked at her,

"You just want a chance to spy on me some more."

"Would I do such a thing?"

"Yes."

* * *

I'm back! sorry about leaving when this was basically done but I had finals to study for and take which totally broke my brain for a few days. but I'm back and in reward for waiting patiently you'll get two chapters. So keep an eye out and You'll get another email within the next few hours in all likelihood. if it doesn't go up today it probably will tomorrow.


	10. Chapter 9: I'm Wishing

**I'm Wishing…**

When Sarah woke the next morning it was to one of the goblins, either Irving or Georgia, she couldn't tell just yet, waving a letter under her nose.

"What is it?" She asked drowsily.

"Letter to Lady from King!"

"Is it important?" she asked as she yawned and sat up.

"Letters from King always important!" the little goblin told her with a look that said 'don't you know that?'.

"Alright, alright. I'll read it." She took the letter and looked closely at the goblin "Georgia?"

"Yes lady! Georgia!" Sarah smiled proudly.

"I'm glad I got it right. Is Toby up yet?" Georgia shook her head and made a shushing motion with her hands. Sarah quickly discovered that Georgia was quite endearing. "Do you like sugar?" The little goblin nodded enthusiastically so Sarah stood and read the note while she went to grab the bag of marshmallows. This first letter invited her on a tour of his kingdom, which she accepted warily.

Jareth had come to collect her and Toby an hour later and soon introduced them to Indirianna whom Sarah had at a glance assumed was Jareth's wife rather then sister and she proceeded to chew him out right then and there. Luckily Indi had intervened before Sarah embarrassed herself too badly. The girls had gotten along beautifully after that and Jareth began to realize that while the two would become fast friends he would one day wish he had not introduced the two with the frequency which they would gang up on him.

Jareth made a mental note to give Sarah a private tour of the gardens one day soon for it was with them that she appeared to be the most fascinated with. She liked the goblins of course and all of his Fae subjects that they came across were kind to her, sometimes overwhelmingly so. It was rather like high school all over again with every one whispering about _the _Sarah Williams although this time it was not because of her actress mother but rather her defeat of the Labyrinth that earned her the fame.

That night when Jareth returned Sarah and Toby home he brought up the matter of her split residence. After Sending Toby off to bed, for he was yawning and running into things, Sarah sat down on her couch and thought about Jareth's question. "I have work Monday though Friday normally but I do work the occasional weekend. I work from 7:30 to 6:30." Jareth eyed her carefully and with a knowing smirk he spoke.

"And where is it Precious, that you work?"

"I work at ACS, Administration for Children's Services. I help kids who are going through a rough time get through it. I've helped them find homes, friends, and I keep in touch with them all. You might say I do the same thing you do." She smirked in return. "Only, what I do is actually legal."

"How you wound me Sarah." He teased, a hand over his heart in mock indignation.

"Back to the issue at hand. How about, every other Sunday you can pick me up and I'll spend the week in the Underground. But, I have to go to work Monday through Friday unless I'm sick or you have a damn good reason for keeping me there." Sarah said. "You can pick me up after work if you want." She added seeing the smirk on his face turn into a displeased scowl.

"Are those your conditions Sarah?" She nodded. "Very well. We will start this Sunday." Sarah opened her mouth to object and Jareth raised an eyebrow. Sarah's mouth closed with a snap and she glared at the man before her.

"You tricked me."

"I did no such thing. You did not specify when, therefore I did. If I have to share what little time with you that I am allowed then I'm going to make the most of it. Unless of course you would permit my presence here during your weeks Aboveground...?" He asked

"No." She said sternly.

"Very Well, Precious. I will see you one week from today." And with that he poofed off leaving very little glitter behind, she was beginning to think that the glitter came and went with his emotions.

"And No Reordering time so Sunday gets here faster!" she called after him. When she was sure he had gone she groaned and whacked her head on the arm of the couch a few times. "Stupid, Stupid, STUPID Sarah. Why am I so _stupid_? Gah! He was nothing but nice and there I go making him mad." Getting up off the couch Sarah wandered back to her room where she promptly threw herself on the bed and began arguing with herself. "On the bright side you get to spend time with him. It's obvious he likes you, I mean he kissed you." Sarah's mouth curled into a grin, "And wasn't that nice?" She giggled "I even kinda wish he would-No! Nu-uh not saying it. Nope. No way."

"Wish I would do what Precious?" Jareth asked as he heard her begin the wish knowing full well how it would have ended had her brain not caught up with her mouth.

"King?" a goblin asked redrawing his attention to his slightly imbecilic subjects.

"What did you get into?" He asked as he used his riding crop to examine the goblin standing before him. The goblin was covered in a lavender, paint like substance. The goblin shrugged. Jareth sighed and waved the goblin away. "Go. Don't come back until you are your natural shade again." The goblin skittered off tripping over many a drunk goblin that was passed out on the floor. And so the week went on. Jareth went to the Metal working goblin who was working on Sarah's pendant. It was coming along nicely and now that the smith had created a rough draft Jareth could reclaim his notebook. He tore the sketch of the pendant out of the book and left it with the goblin for reference.

The week passed by agonizingly slowly for all involved parties, even the goblins were restless. "Kingy?" One goblin asked as she clutched a baby and a magenta colored teddy bear as Jareth sat sketching on his throne in a rare moment of quiet. "Does she remind you of the babe?" Jareth didn't look up from the sketch as he muttered,

"What babe?"

"The babe with the power!" another goblin called, Jareth again didn't look up but he did stop sketching as a smirk crawled across his lips.

"What power?" He replied, surprised the goblins remembered it.

"The power of voodoo!" they shouted

"Who do?"

"You do!"

"Do what?"

"Remind me of the babe!" they said before guffawing into fits of laughter. Jareth grinned, baring his sharp canines before throwing his head back and laughing with them. Unfortunately that was the last of Jareth's peace and quiet in the castle for the goblins went back to their usual raucous behavior complete with terrible singing that Jareth couldn't stop or stand. So he did the only thing he could do, he launched himself out of the nearest window and glided into his personal gardens. He could still hear the goblins but they were reduced to a dull roar instead of a deafening one.

Once Sunday came Jareth poofed himself over to Sarah's as soon as she summoned him, not that she realized that in simply saying his name she had called him to her side. The first time she did it and saw him she jumped nearly three feet in surprise.

While Jareth assured her he couldn't enter her house, or room specifically, with out permission of some kind, he did pop up nearly every time she said his name. Which she quickly learned not to do should she not want him to appear so suddenly.

Jareth swept her back to his castle before she had time to pack more then panties and a few bras. Which earned him an indignant squawk and a lovely blushing Sarah. He took her on a quick tour of the castle and then brought her back to her room.

"Jareth! I'm not staying in the _Queen's_ chambers! It's not right!" Sarah protested, Jareth smirked at her,

"Would you rather stay in the _King's_ chambers then?" Sarah opened hr mouth, blushed, closed it and shuffled into her new bedroom. It was lovely, the 4 poster bed was made of a rich mahogony and scrolling vines and flowers were intricately carved into the head and foot boards. The walls were painted pale lavender and trimmed with black scrollwork with a white ceiling while the silk sheets and the canopy were a candy apple red with gold tassles at the corners, the wing back chairs in the room were a dark blue velvet with mahogany legs to match the mahogany wardrobe and vanity table.

"It's beautiful…" Sarah whispered. She didn't see Clio swell with pride at a job well done behind her.

"Thank you Lady." Sarah whirled around and saw a tall, chubby goblin who came up to her shoulder.

"You did this?" Sarah breathed, her eyes wide with wonder, "It's _Amazing_! Absolutely stunning!"

"Sarah, this is Clio, the best maid in the kingdom. Clio, this is the Lady Sarah." Clio curtseyed as Sarah stuck her hand out to shake. As she rose Clio eyed Sarah's hand and tentatively reached for it. Sarah grasped the goblin woman's hand and shook it.

"It's nice to meet you!"

"You too, Lady Queen."

"I'm no Queen, just call me Sarah." The brunette insisted.

Clio waited on Sarah and frequently brought young Tabatha with her. When Sarah first met the child she was beyond confused, she looked human but she lived in the Labyrinth. Sarah had even thrown a book at Jareth's head the first time he'd reached for the baby. It was after she succeeded in hitting him with said book that he took her aside and told her that while many adults who spend too much time in the Labyrinth may turn into goblins, it was because adults were far more susceptible to the effects of too much magic. Children on the other hand adapted far easier and were adopted into willing families all over the Underground.

Tabatha had been one of the children wished away due to her mother being too young and unable to take care of her baby. Now why the girl had chosen to wish the baby away instead of taking her to a human adoption agency Jareth could not say. After Sarah had learned not to freak out when she saw him with a child she discovered that he was good with kids. He loved them and they loved him, watching Jareth with the kids made Sarah think about what he'd be like if they had kids. She stopped and scolded herself, they were only dating, that was all, nothing more.

Tuesday night as Sarah wandered the castle she found a little girl sobbing her pretty little eyes out. "Aw, honey, what's the matter?"

"My daddy hates me!" she wailed, and Sarah gently peeled the girl's hands away from her face. Upon close inspection she could see the girl was no more then 6 years old, if that. She had almost purple-blue eyes and long, silky, raven hair.

"What makes you think that sweetie?" Sarah asked pulling the handkerchief Sir Didymus had presented to her as a welcome back gift, and wiped the girl's face.

"He said so!" she burst into fresh tears.

"Ohh, oh, oh, oh. C'mere sweetie, lets get you calmed down and cleaned up. And you can tell me all about it." Sarah said scooping the little girl into her arms. "What's your name hun?"

"Sophi…" she sniffled as she curled into Sarah's neck.

"That's a pretty name, I'm Sarah." The goblins stared at Sarah's back as the carried Sophi from the room, they had all tried to cheer the girl up but she had just cried harder and with three sentences Their Sarah had managed to get her to stop crying quite so hard. Reaching the Queen's chambers Sarah gently plopped her bundle on the bed. "Now, you stay right here and I'll be back be for you can say hippopotamus." Sarah drew a bath and grabbed the spare bathing suit she kept for emergencies. Quickly she changed and tied her hair back in a high ponytail before going back to the girl.

Taking her by the hand Sarah led her into the expansive bathroom Sarah helped the girl undress, starting with her shoes and working their way up. Once done Sarah swung the girl into the bath. "Now, how did you get to the castle? Did your daddy wish you away, or did someone else?"

"I did it." She sniffled as the tears came back.

"You wished your self away? Well that's clever of you." The little girl looked up at Sarah, eyes shining.

"Really?" she asked in a small voice.

"Really!" Sarah said encouragingly. "Hold your breath." Sophi did as she was told, and shut her eyes when Sarah poured a cup of warm water over her head and for the first time since she met Sophi she looked up and behind the little girl was one very handsome but very transparent man and she nearly yelled, but she stopped herself for fear that she'd scare her charge. Looking back down at the girl Sarah saw that she was wasn't breathing. "Sophi? Sophi, look at me. Breathe sweetheart, breathe!" Sarah panicked, lowering herself to eye level with the girl and gripping her arms tightly. Sophi drew in a deep, gasping breath. Dizzy with relief, Sarah hugged the girl close and tight. "Oh thank God. Sophi, don't do that again ok?" Sarah felt her nod and let the little girl go.

"You said hold my breath…"

"I know I did but I didn't think you'd continue to hold it after I got your hair wet." Sarah laughed. And more to herself then to Sohpi she muttered something about having to talk to Jareth about this kid's father. Not a minute later Jareth poofed into the bathroom,

"You called, Precious?" Sarah picked up the cup she'd used to drench Sophi's dark hair and, re-filling it, threw the water playfully at Jareth.

"I most certainly did not, I simply said I would have to talk to you about something later." She told him, only partially paying attention to the little girl who was now hiding behind her. "Soph? What's the matter?" Sarah asked as she looked back over her shoulder at the whimpering little girl.

Sophi pointed at Jareth who looked at her curiously. "Are you afraid of him?" Sarah asked as she turned around so she faced the child who nodded and buried her face in Sarah's stomach. And then it hit Sarah, Sophi was afraid of men. It made sense, she was only about 6, she wouldn't have had any relationship with a man who wasn't her dad who was obviously verbally abusive.

"Sophi this is Jareth, King of the goblins and the Underground. He won't hurt you. Jareth this is Sophi, I'll fill you in later. In the mean time I think you'd best go." Jareth nodded and exited the room with very little glitter, the tell-tale sign that he was upset. Sarah finished washing Sophi and wrapped her in a towel like little red riding hood. With a quick rub down Sarah sent Sophi back into the bed room as she dried herself quickly.

Dry once more Sarah followed Sophi to the bed where a simple white night gown with ruffles along the bottom hem and around the wrists, trimmed with pink ribbon was laid out. Sarah smiled and helped the little girl into the nightgown. Sarah brushed and braided Sophi's hair and when she climbed into the big bed Sarah tucked her in. "I'll be just next door Soph, if you need me just call." When Sophi nodded Sarah walked to the door that connected her rooms to Jareth's and knocked gently. "Jareth? Can I come in?" she asked and the door opened with Jareth standing on the other side, Sarah slipped inside and found herself hugging Jareth, whom she discovered was sopping wet. She leaned back,

"Were you out in the rain or something?" she laughed, looking up and seeing his feathery hair plastered to his forehead she reached up and pushed the strands back. Suddenly she found herself stroking his hair, and suddenly she found herself wanting very much to kiss him, so kiss him she did. She kissed him with such a force that it caught him off guard and he stepped back, but then his arms snaked around her, pressing her closer. When they made it to his bed Sarah stopped and tried to back up, but Jareth wouldn't let her. "I don't know what came over me…" she said against his chest. Jareth sat down against the head board and pulled Sarah up next to him,

"We can figure that out later, first, why not tell me what happened?"

"I found her crying in the throne room, The Goblins seemed to be trying to cheer her up but weren't having much luck, I'll have to give them each a marshmallow later, it was the thought that counts. Anyway, she said her Father told her he hated her and so she wished herself here, how did she know she could do that? She's not 6 years old, that little red book isn't something she could have just picked up and read from.

"That aside, when I was bathing her there was this man behind her, just standing there scowling at her. He was her dad, I don't know how I know but I do, and I know he yelled at her and called her horrid names. He wasn't corporeal, he was sort've like a ghost. But I can understand why she wished herself away if he did half the things I think he did. She's just a baby. And since she's so young I can see why she'd be afraid of men, especially handsome ones, as she hasn't likely had any positive experiences with them. Oh, and I think she's Elvin, her ears are pointy." She explained in a whoosh of breath.

"Sarah, have you ever seen 'ghosts' like this before?" he asked patiently as he stroked her hair.

"Twice, Once at Alanna's, I saw 3 sets of parents, one little girl about 7 or 8, another girl 11 or 12 and a boy who was about 15. And then I thought I saw a girl about 14 behind Tabatha once, She wasn't well. She was also pale and dirty and Tabatha's birth mother."

"_The King of the goblins had fallen in love with the girl, and he had given her certain powers._ Isn't that how it goes?" Jareth asked and Sarah smiled,

"You can quote your own book, that's cute. But what does it have to do with ghosts?"

"'Certain Powers' are the key words here, Sarah. One, to have any wish granted as long as you voice it properly, and Two the ability of Post-cognition, also know to the Aboveground as _retro-_cognition, though I do find myself leaning towards Post-cognition as the better word."

"Wait, I really have certain powers?" She asked as she stood on the bed and began to jump in circles, Jareth smirked,

"Yes, Precious you do indeed. Do you want to know how they work or would you be content with jumping on my bed in that oh so _fetching_ swimsuit you are wearing." Sarah stopped jumping. Placing a loose fist on a cocked hip Sarah grinned cheekily,

"You take note of my fashion Jareth? I'm flattered."

"Pert little minx." He muttered as she flopped down in front of him, She preened subtly and flashed a mildly dangerous grin,

"That was redundant… Well you asked me to come down so you could explain my certain powers, and now I am, so, do go on."

"With the ability to have your wishes granted, they have to begin with 'I wish' how they end doesn't matter unless wishing some one away in which case you already know how it goes. Post-cognition is more complicated and you shall begin training it as soon as possible. Once fully trained you will be able to look at a runner or the wished away and know what happened to lead up to the wishing."

"So Tabatha's mom was 14, a clone of her daughter, homeless and sick?"

"I can only confirm the first two, she called for the goblins, not me."

"I called for the goblins and I got you."

"Sarah, you forget, you summoned me long before you ever wished Toby away."

"You mean you were watching me?" her voice rose in indignation.

"It was a pleasure watching you act out scenes from that book. I have to admit; I was surprised to find you simply reading that first day, and not trying to wish someone away. It doesn't happen like that often. There was a time when I accompanied the goblins, but I found supervising the runners a better use of my time. Most runners will never meet another during the run now but years ago when I went with the goblins they were much more likely to find each other." Jareth stopped and looked at Sarah, tapping his lips with a gloved finger.

"Jareth, why are you looking at me like that?"

"Sarah, would you like a pet?"

"A- a pet? Why?" she looked at him in utter bewilderment,

"I know a dwarf." He said simply.

"You have completely lost me. Now what were you saying about watching me?" She asked as she reached for a velvety picture frame that stood on Jareth's nightstand. Jareth caught her wrist as he saw her reach towards the geode that sat in front of her portrait. Sarah frowned at her wrist,

"Was there a reason for that? I just wanted to see the picture frame, that's all." Jareth picked the portrait up with his free hand and slapped it into her captured hand as a surgical assistant may slap a scalpel into the surgeon's hand. He released her wrist and picked up what to her eyes was an ordinary rock. He moved off the bed and walked to the wall where he stood for a moment before returning to Sarah's side.

"So you do keep a portrait of me by your bed." She said quietly.

"For 6 years." He told her, she looked up,

"6? I thought…"

"13 perhaps?" at Sarah's silent nod he smiled. "You were 15 at the time, for me to have kept a portrait of you at 15 by my bed would be inordinately inappropriate."

"And kinda creepy. But Scooter said you-"

"I did order a portrait done of you when you left, once I stopped sulking I'm sure Scooter would tell you, I also had one done of you every 3 years following."

"Why 3?"

"A 15 year old's face hasn't changed much by the time they are 16 but from 15 to 17 the face will have changed more. And then 17 to 21 even more so, the face will likely have lost a child's roundness and will have become more defined in its shape. That portrait is 3 years old."

"Scooter said you sketch, can I see?" Jareth reached into this nightstand drawer and giving it a quick flip through to make sure there was nothing he needed to keep from her.

She giggled as he reached a leather-clad hand out to caress her ribs while she flipped through the book, mesmerized by his talent. "Jar-eth!" she laughed batting his hand away only to have the other come up and do the same to her other side.

"Ssssar-ah!" he drawled as he caught her trying to wiggle away and pinned her down.

"That tickles!" she squealed as she tried to catch and capture his hands in hers.

"Have you ever been riding before Sarah?"

"What?" She asked, a blush rising to her cheeks. "J-Jareth! I'm not sure… I'm not sure we- we _know_ each other…" she stammered but before she could finish he stopped her mouth with a finger on her lips.

"Horse back riding, Sarah. What did you think I meant?" He asked, although the glint in his eyes told her he knew _exactly _what she thought he meant. Sarah glared at him and took the finger that was still against her lips and placed it between her teeth, she but down but not hard and he was looking at her with a raised eyebrow.

"Not fair." She said around the finger of his glove when he used magic to remove the glove from his hand.

"I wonder what your basis for comparison is." He smirked. Sarah rolled her head to the side and let go of the glove.

"Ptooey. Tastes like leather." No sooner then the words were out of her mouth that she found herself tasting The Goblin King's lips. "You on the other hand taste like Spices and…" she kissed him again, "Sandalwood and…" another kiss "peppermint..." She sighed in content as his lips met hers once more, slowly, deftly; it was a caress. Sweet and simple.

When they broke apart Sarah smiled, "I haven't. Been horseback riding I mean. I loved horses when I was little but my mother was terrified I'd be stepped on and refused to let me near them. I had a toy horse though, she was butter yellow with a pink mane as I recall and, don't laugh, I named her Butterscotch."

"Butterscotch? Why?"

"She smelled like butterscotch candy." Sarah shrugged and Jareth laughed "C'mon! I was like eight when I named her!" She said punching his shoulder lightly.

"Would you like to take a ride with me Sarah?" A sly smile curled her lips.

"Absolutely. Can we get Clio to look in on Sophi every now and again?"

"I'd be delighted!" Clio accepted when Jareth asked her a few minutes later while Sarah got dressed. "Will she be in need of a family sire?"

"She will."

"I know an elf girl who'll take one look at that little one and simply melt."

"I'm ready" Sarah said as she tiptoed back into Jareth's room.

"Lady Sarah! What in the name of propriety are you wearing?" Clio asked, her voice rising to a shrill shriek.

"Jeans, and a t-shirt. Why?" Sarah asked quietly before looking in on Sophi to make sure she hadn't woken. Closing the door with a soft click Sarah walked over to Jareth.

"You can't go out like that! People will think you're a ragamuffin!"

"Clio, I'm going to see a horse! I'm not going to muck up a pretty dress just so people won't gossip about me. They'd simply find something else to gossip about any way." She turned to Jareth "Tell her I'm not going to ruin a perfectly nice dress to appease gossipy people."

"Clio, do you think we have any riding clothes that would fit the stubborn Lady?"

"I think I can find something, Your Majesty." Clio gave Sarah a triumphant grin as she left. Jareth laughed as Sarah stuck her tongue out at the retreating goblin's back.

"I'm glad you two get on so well." Sarah shrugged,

"She's nice and she's smart. Even if she does force me into dresses at frequent intervals." Clio returned promptly with a pair of form fitting tan pants, knee high black boots with a short heel, a black jacket and a white button up shirt with half sleeves. She thrust the riding gear at Sarah who sighed, rolled her eyes and went to change, again. Sarah returned with the jacket slung over her shoulder, kept in place with a finger she kept hooked inside the collar.

"Happy you two?"

"Quite." Clio said with an approving nod before she excused herself. Jareth poofed them into the Stables where a light tan mare with a white mane and tail stood whickering, she had lovely brown eyes with a white stripe running up from the center of her soft black nose to a star shape on her forehead.

"She's beautiful." Sarah cooed as she and the mare looked at each other. "What's her name?"

"Kendra." He said as he took her hand and slowly, gently, placed it on the mare's nose.

Sarah giggled as Kendra sought out treats from the hands on her nose "What's it mean?"

"Champion…" Jareth breathed into Sarah's ear. Sarah turned frowning, "She's yours Sarah, if you want her…" _As am I._ he almost said. She looked at him, as if waiting for him to say it. When he didn't she kissed his cheek.

"What's the catch?" she asked turning back to Kendra. Jareth smirked

"Why must there always be a catch, Sarah?"

'_Because I wouldn't know what to do with out one.'_ Sarah thought. "Because you are too like your subjects for there not to be one."

"Introduce me to your family."

"And just how am I supposed to explain you to them?" '_Especially when I don't know how to explain you to myself…' _"I mean Hi Dad, Hi Karen this is Jareth my childhood villain and boyfriend? They'd think I'd gone nuts. No dice. Not yet. Pick something else. I'll introduce you when I know how. Besides they just got back from Italy, they'll be in no shape to meet you."

"Very well. Have dinner with me and my family." Sarah pondered it for a moment, with Indirianna there it wasn't likely of them to get too carried away, and it was just dinner, and maybe desert… But nothing is 'just' dinner or 'just' a swim or 'just' a card game. The last card game she'd played with him had turned out to be strip poker. A game she ordinarily won, but against Jareth she wound up in her underwear with his eyes raking over her at random intervals.

"Just Dinner right? No strip card games? Or swimming in my underwear?"

"You are the one who refused to let me dress you for that swim, Precious. It was hardly my fault."

"So you keep telling me. Alright, I'll have dinner with you and Indi." Jareth grinned wolfishly at her. He unlocked Kendra's stall and handed Sarah the lead rope

"Sarah, watch and pay attention." He took the bridle from its place on the wall and slipped it over Kendra's nose and behind her ears. He took the saddle from the goblins that brought it over and fastened it down over the saddle blanket. He flipped the stirrups down and returned to Sarah's side.

"Unlike Above ground saddles, Underground saddles are lighter in weight and fairly easy to lift, but should you need help, the goblins will be more then happy to assist. The little one is Teak, the big one is Fidgit, the medium one is Gobbs, and the last one is… Hefty. He steals people's right shoes."

"Why 'Hefty'?"

"Hefty Hefty Hefty!" the shoe-stealing goblin proclaimed, hopping up and down as he recited the jingle for a trash bag ad.

"That's why." Jareth pinched the bridge of his nose tapping his riding crop against his leg as the goblins surrounded Sarah, Teak and Fidgit were swinging on her hands, Gobbs was on her shoulder talking in her ear. While Hefty tried to steal her right boot, which he succeeded in doing after knocking her off balance, Sarah removed the goblins from her person and her other boot shoving it at Jareth before taking off after the goblin. "Get back here you! I need that boot!" she yelled as she ran. The goblins then took off after Sarah who ignored them. At first it amused him but Jareth quickly tired of the goblins' game.

"Stop!" He commanded just as Sarah lept for Hefty who, of course hearing his King's command, stopped. Sarah wrested the boot away from the surprisingly strong goblin and held it up in triumph.

"Ah Hahaha! I win." She proclaimed as she grinned in pride. There was no doubt about it; she would get along beautifully as Queen. She brushed off the bottom of her sock and pulled her boot back on. She stood, brushed herself off and hopped on her right foot back to Jareth who met her half way swinging her up into his arms.

"Did you hurt yourself?" He asked, concerned.

Sarah smiled back at him, "Nope! I just didn't want to get my other sock any more dirty." Jareth rolled his eyes and helped her into Kendra's saddle before brushing off the bottom of her sock and putting her other boot back on. He led Kendra from the stall and a short distance away from the stables before swinging himself into the saddle behind Sarah. Taking the reigns he urged Kendra to a trot and then as Sarah got used to moving with the rhythm a canter.

"So you were telling me about how you used to watch me?" Sarah prompted and Jareth rested his chin on her shoulder.

"You were a surprise. I hadn't expected to see you reading instead of wishing. You were intriguing and a nice reprieve from the goblins, you and that sheepdog of yours."

"Merlin!" Sarah laughed.

"That dog did not like me. He barked at me."

"Awww, poor Jareth." Sarah laughed and Jareth closed his eyes at the sound as it reverberated through her and into him.

"Every time you called me I came to watch. I couldn't have not come if I tried; it was too nice to get away from the goblins for a while. You would have made a very good actress you know."

"I act a little still. When there's a particularly appealing role. I have a few questions about my 'certain powers'…"

"Ask away."

"You said any wish I make as long as it's said, and begins with I wish will be granted, right?"

"With a few minor exceptions. Were you to return to the Above permanently and wish someone away and run the labyrinth again I can not return to you the three hours I took on your first run, but that only counts if you are running again. If you aren't running, I can reorder time to give you those three hours and how ever many more you want."

"And if I were to wish you would kiss me, would you feel compelled to kiss me?"

"I'm compelled to kiss you with out the wish, but yes." Sarah turned her face to look at him,

"Jareth, I wish you _would_ kiss me again…"

"Gladly, Precious, gladly." He whispered before fulfilling her wish with a kiss that sent the world spiraling away. When they finally broke the kiss the sun had begun to set and Kendra had stopped to munch on some grass.

"It's late…" Sarah said breathlessly.

"So it is."

"We should head back." She said tracing his cheekbones with the hand that had tangled itself in his hair.

"If that's what you wish."

"It's not but we should do it anyway." She sighed. "When are we doing dinner with Indi?" she asked as he turned Kendra and they made their way back to the stables.

"Saturday."

"What should I wear?" Jareth conjured a crystal, which, in a display of glitter became his sketchbook. He flipped through it to find the sketch he wanted. Finding it he showed Sarah.

"It's lovely. Do you design your own clothes?" she asked as she looked at the black sweetheart bodiced gown. The black continued down into an over skirt which contrasted nicely with the colors in the underskirt, each color bleeding into the other to go through all 6 colors of the rainbow. Light beading livened up the black of the bodice and the edge of the black skirt. Jareth chuckled,

"Most of them, yes." As they reached the stables Jareth dismounted and swung Sarah down before leading Kendra to the stable hands, goblins and fae who looked after the horses when he had other matters to attend to, such as a Sarah who was trying desperately to not be tired. He gathered her to him as she stifled a yawn,

"Hold tight, Sarah." He said as he poofed them back to his bedroom. Laid out on his bed were her silk pajamas from the other night, they were clean and warm and waiting. Beside them lay a pair of blue and white striped sleep pants. Sarah crept over to the door that joined the Queen's chambers to the King's and cracked it open to check on Sophi who was out like a light in the center of the big bed. Sarah smiled and closed the door.

"Guess I'm not sleeping in that bed tonight. I don't want to wake her." She said as she turned and saw Jareth, shirtless and in bed waiting for her with his fingers laced behind his head as he leaned against the oak headboard. "I'm not spending the night in here!" Sarah squeaked as a blush rose to her face. Jareth smirked and raised an eyebrow,

"Oh really? Sarah, I promise you will be much more comfortable in here then in one of the chairs in your bedroom." Sarah paused, looked at her clothes laid out nice and neat, she looked at Jareth who was grinning that pointed grin at her, looked at the covers of the bed turned back to reveal the soft, deep blue silk sheets that beckoned her.

"I cannot believe I'm doing this." She muttered as she grabbed her pajamas and went to change.

'_I cannot believe she accepted!' _Jareth thought, happily surprised. Sarah soon returned with the robe she had left in the Labyrinth wrapped around her.

"You thought of everything didn't you Goblin King?" She asked seeing the smug smile he wore.

"Not me Precious. The Labyrinth. It likes you. Now take off that silly robe and come to bed, you won't need it, I promise." Sarah shuffled over to the side of the bed closest to the door, draping the robe over a chair near the bed she fought the urge to give a sultry little dance to the bed and pounce on the elegant male in it. Instead She walked calmly, perhaps a smidge quickly but calmly nonetheless, to the bed. Snuggling down under the covers she flipped her hair up over the pillow and rolled on to her side where she closed her eyes and fell asleep with Jareth stroking he hair almost absent mindedly.

Once she was asleep he slid gently down beside her and he stroked her cheek gently until he fell asleep oblivious to the lights that were still on. Clio came in shortly to ask a question but seeing the King hold his Lady with her head tucked tenderly under his chin and his arms around her while her temple rested against his collar bone her fingers resting gingerly over his sigil of office Clio simply smiled turned out the lights and left taking careful measures not to wake either of them.

And for the first time in a long time, everything was quiet as if the Labyrinth was holding its breath, waiting to see what would happen next.


End file.
